The Russians are coming to the U.K. luxury market

Sep 23, 2008

By Jason Leach From his blog: What’s the market doing? And the Russians ARE coming There are a lot of mixed signals out there and different people have different angles on the French property market at the moment. The Brits are still buying, but not in the numbers that they used to. But then again July and August are generally quiet months for the Brits to buy. On the other hand, there is still, and increasingly more so, lots more interest from the Dutch, German, Belgian, Swiss and Scandanavian countries, but more than ever it’s the French. France hasn’t really been affected by the credit crunch due to the fiscal regulations that exist. We did see some small protests when the fuel prices were increased but even that’s come down again now to a more reasonable level.

How Google Maps can be used to make solar power decisions for your luxury home

Sep 05, 2008

By Simon Turner From his blog: How Google Maps can be used to make solar power decisions for your home As energy prices continue to climb, the idea of utilizing solar energy is common sense. The process of getting solar panels installed, however, is quite the opposite. RoofRay, a new Californian business, aims to give homeowners better information to enable them to make more-informed environmental decisions for their luxury home. Using the site’s modeling tools, consumers can estimate how much solar energy a home could capture and how that would affect their monthly bills. The data provided is based upon historical weather conditions, current power usage charges, the gradient of the property, and the maximum amount of solar paneling the roof can hold. One tool uses Google Maps to let users calculate the size of their roof and build virtual panels. RoofRay then estimates the output potential of the solar panels as well as financial considerations like costs of installation, upkeep and return on investment.

Introducing the Luxury Lounge

Aug 01, 2008

By Michael Edlund The Luxury Lounge is an exciting project we’ve been busy working on over here at Luxury Real Estate. The Luxury Lounge is a gated social-networking community for professionals within the LuxuryRealEstate.com affiliate network to make connections with quality peers all over the world. Initially, you will be able to search and connect to people, send private messages and write public comments to others, write and comment on blog posts and discuss topics in forums.

Green luxury real estate

Jul 31, 2008

By Jean-Yves Piton Are you presently offering “green” luxury homes to your clients? With the growing concern for global warming and the depletion of energy, there is an ever-rising enthusiasm for eco-friendly alternatives worldwide. Clearly, both energy efficient products and organic goods are in high demand with rapidly increasing market shares vis-à-vis other traditional and commercial goods.

Luxury kitchen and bath trends

May 21, 2008

By Allyson Metters Like many of my friends, the most important thing in a home for me is the kitchen – not that I am a great cook, but there is something about that room that appeals to me. Every time I see a property listing, I always take a look through the photos for the kitchen shots. According to an article entitled “What Luxury Looks Like in the New Kitchen and Bath” in Custom Builder magazine, multiplicity is a trend in luxury kitchens – multiple islands, sinks, appliances – even multiple kitchens. The article also covers luxury trends for master baths – including showers equipped with steam, sound therapy, and aroma therapy. Editor’s Note: As she mentioned, Allyson Metters is the Relocation Manager for LuxuryRealEstate.com. She helps people who are moving to find a perfect broker to meet their needs in their new area. Allyson makes an interesting point about amenities and what people are looking for in a luxury home. Keep an eye on changing tastes.

Trading spaces? Avoid the trading trap

Mar 26, 2008

By Kimberly Fulwyler At the prospect of writing another blog entry, I was drawing a big blank. So I decided to search the Web for interesting real-estate trends. I then stumbled upon an article on RealEstateJournal.com entitled “I’ll Buy Your House If You Buy Mine.” I found this story both interesting and unsettling. This article was about the small, but burgeoning, trend of trading houses. Basically, there are Web sites where sellers go and look for suitable trades. For instance, if you’re in Arizona and you want to move to Florida, then you post your house in Arizona, and in your profile you mention that you’re willing to trade for a home in Florida.

2008 trends for Caribbean real estate, fractionals are the deal!

Mar 26, 2008

By Jim Walberg We have just ended the first month of 2008 and my January 3rd Predications are being confirmed every day regarding the trends of Caribbean real-estate buyers! The deeded fractional ownership is having a dramatic impact on the buying patterns of Baby Boomers, Brits, Europeans and Canadians. Their appetite for full ownership of second and third homes/condos in the Caribbean is being refocused on the fractional-ownership resorts being developed by BIG international companies!

A sumptuous morsel of positive real-estate news

Mar 26, 2008

By Robert Lockard I’ve been talking a lot about the media lately, but my thoughts just keep dwelling on this topic. When I see headlines talking about how many people believe we might be in a recession, I start to wonder if that is simply reflecting the fact that everyone hears and reads predictions of future downturns and problems in the news. However, sometimes we can find small morsels of hope buried under all of the sour gloom.

Why you shouldn't fear drops in home prices

Mar 26, 2008

By Robert Lockard The drop in house prices is a good thing.” So says a recent editorial, entitled “Relief for home buyers,” in The Seattle Times. Exactly. Thank you, Seattle Times editors, for succinctly stating a fact that cuts to the heart of this matter. If prices are always rising, then that is certainly not a good thing for buyers, who have to pay more for the same home. Trends that are good for sellers will not be so good for buyers, and vice versa. Prices have been reaching all-time highs in the past few years, so the price dip that is occurring in several markets is by no means a catastrophe. In fact, it is probably a good thing since it will allow buyers, seeking first homes or luxury homes, to receive more property for their money.

New York luxury market shrugs off real-estate worries in 2007

Mar 26, 2008

By Robert Lockard Check out this excellent article from Forbes.com, entitled “Priciest home sales of 2007.” After conducting extensive research, Forbes.com discovered that the top five most expensive U.S. home sales this past year were in Manhattan. In fact, two real-estate sales records were broken in New York City: the priciest apartment with the $60 million purchase of almost an entire floor of the renowned Plaza Hotel, and the highest price per square foot ($6,287) at another property in Central Park West. It’s safe to say that the luxury real estate market is alive and well in New York and other places.
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