Celebritiy Real Estate News....

Actor Charlie Sheen
2549 N Catalina St
Los Angeles CA 90027
4 Bedroom
4.5 Bath
4,179 sq. ft.
For sale: $3,197,000
Original list price: $3,697,000

Alex Rodriquez - Baseball Star
181 E Sunrise Ave
Coral Gables, FL 33133
6 Bedroom
6.5 Bath
8,310 sq. ft.
For sale: $9,999,999
Original list price: $14,876,000

Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony
487 St Pierre Rd
Los Angeles, CA 90077
4 Bedroom
5 Bath
Recently sold: $6,200,000
Original list price: $8.5 million

Kimora Lee Simmons
101 Fox Hedge Rd
Saddle River, NJ 07458
10 Bedrooms
35,000 sq. ft (yes, 35,000!)
For sale: $16.5 million
Original list price: $23 million



Know someone interested in these homes? Let me know and I can assist with finding the right agent in any part of the country.  http://www.kenarscott.com/ .

First Time and Repeat Buyer Tax Credits - Deadlines approaching Soon

In November 2009, congress made the decision to continue the tax credit program for First Time Home buyers.  This program gives a First time Home buyer an $8,000 tax credit.  Congress also added terms to now include a repeat buyer as well (providing you have owned your current home for at least five years). Repeat buyers are given a $6500 tax credit for purchasing a home.  These are great programs that should be taken advantage of in today's market.  No one knows if this program will be extended or ever available again.  The current program requirements expire on April 30, 2010.  To take advantage of this great program, you MUST be under contract on a home by April 30, 2010, and the property MUST settle by June 30, 2010. 

• Definition of First Time Home Buyer:  Someone who has NOT owned a home in the last three years.
• Definition of Repeat Home Buyer:  Someone who has lived in and owned the same home for the five out of the last eight years. 
• First Time Home Buyer Credit:  $8,000
• Repeat Home Buyer Credit:  $6,500
• Deadline: Must be under contract by April 30, 2010.  Must settle by June 30, 2010.
• Income Limits:  $125,000 for single person; $225,000 for married couple
• Maximum home purchase amount:  $800,000
• Eligible Properties:  Single Family Homes, Condominiums, Town Homes that will be used as your PRIMARY residence.  Can also apply  on a 1-4 unit rental building, provided that you will be living in one of the units as your primary residence. 
• Properties NOT eligible:  Properties being purchased from a spouse, parent, grand-parent, child or grand-child.  You can however purchase from siblings, nieces, nephews, etc. and still be eligible.
• Married couples are not eligible to claim the first time home buyer credit if either of the spouses has owned a home in the last three years.  They can qualify for the repeat credit if they meet those guidelines however. 
•  Repayment of Credit -  The credit will not have to be repaid to the government, UNLESS you sell the home or the home no longer becomes your primary residence within three years of purchasing the home. 
• You must submit a copy of the HUD-1 closing statement and IRS form 5405 with your tax returns to claim the credit(s). 

Of course if you or someone you know if looking to buy in the DC metro area, I would be happy to help out as your Realtor.  Please give me a call (703-346-7060) or email (soldsign@aol.com )and let me know.

Most Beautiful Cities in the World....

Choosing the world’s most beautiful cities is a subjective enterprise. To identify urban areas where the architecture and the locale are both stunning, Forbes magazine turned to world-renowned architects. Here are their top choices:

Paris

Vancouver, Canada

Sydney, Australia

Florence, Italy

Cape Town, South Africa

San Francisco

Chicago

New York City

London

Cambridge, England

Tokyo



Source: Forbes, Tim Kiladze (01/22/2010)

The Happiest Cities in the U.S.

Congratulations to our DC metro area for being #9 of the Happiest areas in the United States.  While we may not be on the top of the list, being number 9 is not bad at all.  I think it is one of the happiest cities in the U.S. also!



The 10 happiest cities are:
1. Boulder, CO

2. Holland-Grand Haven, MI

3. Honolulu, HI

4. Provo-Orem, UT

5. Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA

6. Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA

7. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

8. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

9. Ogden-Clearfield, UT

10. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA



... and the 10 unhappiest cities are:
153. Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL

154. Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

155. Shreveport-Bossier City, LA

156. Evansville, IN-KY

157. Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA

158. Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA

159. Flint, MI

160. Charleston, WV

161. Modesto, CA

162. Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH


(Source: The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index)

Tom Hanks buys $26 Million House and other stories....

Tom Hanks
Actor Tom Hanks has purchased a contemporary Pacific Palisades home of  producers Kathleen Kennedyand Frank Marshall.  The sales price was listed at slightly more than $26 million.  Property records show that the 14,513-square-foot house, built in 1996, has four bedrooms and five bathrooms.

Conan O'Brien
A Manhattan penthouse belonging to Conan O’Brien hits the market for $35 million. Mr. O’Brien and his wife, Liza, combined a 17th-floor apartment with the 18th-floor penthouse, which they bought in 2007 for $10 million.  The building, on the former site of the Majestic Hotel, once housed mobsters including Mafia boss Frank Costello, who suffered only minor wounds when he was shot in the lobby during a failed assassination attempt in 1957.

Vince Clarke
English pop musician Vince Clarke, a founding member of Depeche Mode, Yaz and Erasure, lists his home in Surrey, England, for just under $3.1 million. The circular, terraced glass-and-concrete home was built around 1990 on 5.6 acres.  It has three bedrooms, spiral glass staircases, windows that tint at a touch and a recording studio. It also has a lower ground floor with an indoor pool. 

 Bernie Madoff
 Bernard Madoff’s Manhattan penthouse has gone into contract for an undisclosed price. It was originally listed for $9.9 million in September and later was cut to $8.9 million. The buyer, whose identity has not been disclosed, will get a 4,000 square foot duplex cooperative apartment on the 11th and 12th floors of 133 E. 64th Street. The three bedrooms are on the lower floor, and the living room, kitchen and a wraparound terrace are above.

15 Best Cities to Retire In.........

Boomers are willing to move farther than previous generations when they retire, and they are choosing places unlike stereotypical retirement hotspots, says Tom Brokaw in his report on Boomer retirement, airing on CNBC, Thursday, March 4 at 9 p.m. ET.




The top places listed by AARP and explored on the show are:



Loveland/Fort Collins, Colo.

Las Cruces, N.M

Rehoboth Beach, Del.

Portland, Ore.

Greenville, S.C.

Sarasota, Florida

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Tucson, Ariz.

Montpelier, Vt.

Honolulu

Santa Fe, N.M

Atlanta

Charleston, S.C

Northampton, Mass.

San Diego, Calif.

Home for Sale - Scarlett Johansson lists home for $4.59M

Scarlett Johansson bought this Hollywood Hills villa in 2007, about nine years after the "The Horse Whisperer" launched her career. At the time, she paid $7 million, according to data from Zillow. Now the 1931 home is priced to go at $4.59 million.

The 4 bedroom Spanish-style home recently underwent an "extraordinary renovation," including upgrades to solar power. The rooms on the first floor open to a center atrium through "romantic loggia" complete with period tile.

The gourmet period-style kitchen opens to pool area and is equipped with "Big Chill" appliances. There is also a full size dining room, as well as a living room with exposed roof beams and a fireplace

The bathrooms have his-and-hers sinks and porthole mirrors.

The gated property features landscaped terraces, patios and cascading gardens.

 

(cnn.com )

Home for Sale - Ashley Olson lists home for $1.399M

Actress Ashley Olsen (of the Olsen twins) is expecting to take a loss on her 2,332 sq. ft. home  in Los Angeles, having just placed it on the market Wednesday for $1,399,000.

Built in 1926, the house has been part of Olsen’s empire since her Isabella Missoni Revocable Trust in November 2007 paid $1,575,000 for it. The home has three baths, new central air and heat, new tiled bathrooms, a new driveway, and living room with a wood-beamed ceiling, a large picture window, a fireplace and French doors, according to listing information. Other features include a large arched doorway between the living room and the formal dining room, a kitchen with stainless steel appliances, a second-floor balcony with wooden balustrades, and an authentic period tiled staircase.  The house sits on a 0.18-acre lot.

Interested or know someone interested? Let me know and I can connect them with a professional agent in that area.

'Jersey Shore" MTV home up for rent

Are you a fan of Jersey Shore.  Want to stay in the infamous party house?  Well, it's now up for rent on a daily basis.  The owner of the home says that since the show aired, the demand and price to rent this home has shot through the roof.  The 6 bedroom, 3 bath home is going for $3500 per night.  After May 1, the price increases to $6500 per night.  Per night!

According to the owner, the legendary duck phone is still in the house -- as well as most of the couches, beds, tables and artwork that you saw on the show.

 

Mortgage Rates Top 5%

Long-term mortgage rates climbed above 5 percent this week. According to Freddie Mac, 30-year fixed loans averaged 5.01 percent compared to 4.98 percent last week.
There is a lot of buzz in the industry that rates are expected to increase and hit the 6% mark in March sometime.  If you are looking to buy a home and keep your rates low, NOW is the time to buy and get yourself locked in before things start going up again. 

Highest Priced Sales for DC area: January 2010

January 2010 brought alot of activity to the real estate marketing in our DC metro area.  Here's a list of the most expensive homes that sold in each region for January 2010:

In DC, the most expensive home sold was 2431 Kalorama Road NW.  It was listed for 3,595,000 and sold for $3,325,000 .  The home has 7 bedrooms, with 6 full bathrooms and one half bath. 

In Virginia, the most expensive home sold was 1147 Chain Bridge Road, McLean, VA.  The home was listed at $12,500,000 and sold for $8,250,000 cash according to the record.  It's named Hickory Hill, and was Robert F. Kennedy's Home for over 50 yrs., previously owned by President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy. This 19th Centruy residence sits on almost 6 acres w/majestic trees and rolling lawns. The residence has 12 BR, 10.5 Baths, 12 FPs, a 38 ft Living Room, pool, pool house, tennis court and stables. 

In Maryland, the most expensive home was 5304 Woodlawn Avenue, Chevy Chase, Md.  The home was listed at $3,995,000, and sold for #3,500,000 . 

2431 Kalorama Rd NW, Washington DC

1147 Chain Bridge Rd, McLean VA

5304 Woodlawn Ave, Chevy Chase Md