“House Party” is realtor.com®’s official podcast about the overlapping worlds of real estate and pop culture, hosted by Natalie Way, Erik Gunther, and Rachel Stults. Click the player above to hear our takes on this week’s hot topics.
Considering we practically eat, sleep, and breathe real estate, we thought it was high time we watched “Selling Sunset,” a Netflix reality show that’s billed as a mix between “Million Dollar Listing” and “The Real Housewives” franchises. After sitting through all 32 minutes of the pilot episode, it’s clear that the soapy reality series leans more toward the latter. Real estate and home design take a back seat to catfights and drama. Were we into it, or did the lack of authenticity make watching it a painful experience? We give our honest thoughts on this week’s episode.
Other topics we discuss:
Questlove launching virtual celebrity cooking show
Our favorite and least favorite celebrity kitchens
And, as always, this week’s celebrity real estate winner and loser
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Want to chime in? Have your own crazy home-related story you’re dying to share? We’re all ears, eagerly waiting to discuss all of your burning real estate questions on “The Mailbox” segment. Email us at podcast@realtor.com, follow us on Facebook, or tweet us @housepartypod on Twitter.
It’s been on the market for nearly a year, but this mansion in Potomac, MD, took over Twitter this week.
Over the past few days, the listing has scorched social media.
A viral tweet about a fancy house with a basement decked out to look like a fake town sparked the curiosity of real estate gawkers. Its wild listing photos have brought some much-needed levity to a captive audience of stay-at-home scrollers intrigued by the $4.5 million mansion.
Built in 1987, the home was remodeled to include a unique amenity.
Down in the basement, you’ll see the faux main street of a small town, complete with store facades, a post office, movie theater, and cobblestone streets. The old-timey theme is reinforced by the owner’s antique cars.
Once Twitter got a gander at the photos, thanks to this eagle-eyed property browser, page views on the listing soared.
My friend found a listing for an otherwise normal mcmansion that seemingly has a little…. fake… town (?) in the basement pic.twitter.com/0VFT6LDgoW
— Filthiest Poster Alive (@victoriaxxviii) May 27, 2020
The tweet has since racked up more than 350,000 likes and more than 44,000 retweets.
The burning question for many of the people exposed to these amazing photos has been simple: Why?
Why would someone build a fake antique town in their basement? Turns out the answer isn’t particularly exotic. The home’s owners—Tom and Alice Blair—simply wanted a space for fun with family and friends.
Lori Leasure, the home’s listing agent, notes that Tom is a guy with a great sense of humor.
“He had three teenage kids in the house and used it to host parties,” she says. “There’s a TV room, and the side opens up to the garage, so the cars can get in and out.”
Basement town
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Cars in basement town
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Another of Tom and Alice’s properties, known as Hickory Ridge, in nearby Howard County, MD, has been transformed into a paradise for their grandkids. It’s part farm, part airport for Tom’s World War II planes, and even has its own private church.
Let’s just say the Blairs aren’t afraid to spend money to create a mansion full of family magic.
Besides the one-of-a-kind basement, the rest of the home the Blairs are leaving behind is formal and traditional.
It has seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, and over 12,000 square feet of living space. The mansion sits on a gated, 4-acre lot, and the property also has a tennis court, heated pool, and guesthouse with private entrance.
Exterior
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Entry
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Living room
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Kitchen
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Library
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Basement movie theater
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Basement town
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Basement town with antique car
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Basement town flowershop
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Tennis court
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Pool
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Leasure told us she’s hopeful the home will sell soon, despite the fact that it’s been on the market since July 2019. She says her hopes aren’t up simply because the listing photos have gone viral—she’s seen a strong rebound in the high-end home market with the ongoing pandemic.
“People want more space and more land and to get out of the city,” Leasure says. “And this has 4 acres. The luxury market has really taken off since the virus.”
While the recent attention might not help sell the high-end property with the boffo basement, it has brought joy to plenty of people over the last week.
Which was Blair’s point in constructing the charming little town in the first place. He wanted to transport folks someplace else and take them out of the everyday, even for just a while. We’d say it worked like a charm.
A whimsical oceanfront compound with its own distinctive lighthouse is on the market in Key Largo, FL. Known as the Key Largo Lighthouse, the 1.65 acre-property on Oleander Circle can sleep about 20 people and entertain many more.
It’s listed for $7.9 million, and what you see is exactly what you’ll get.
“It’s sold the way you see it in the pictures,” says the listing agent, Pierre-Marc Bellion, noting that the sellers are leaving everything, including the two boats at the dock.
“It’s obviously not for every taste or for every buyer, but it’s very well done. It comes with all the décor, all the features, all the furniture, all the toys, everything.”
The current owners purchased the property in 2014 and extensively remodeled and added to it.
“They went a little overboard on everything,” says Bellion.
As one prime example, the outdoor pool is an over-the-top ode to splashy fun.
The owner wanted a pool, says the listing agent. “He wanted the pool to be spectacular, so he brought in a company from Las Vegas and spent something like $1.2 million.”
The luxe aquatic area now features a hanging bridge leading to a slide, multiple waterfalls, and a zero entry into the water that looks like a beach.
Multiple tiki huts sit close to the pool and the ocean, and they’re all wired for sound. Each hut also has a grill or outdoor kitchen nearby.
One of those outdoor kitchens boasts a pizza oven imported from Italy. Near the ocean, there’s a paved area with another outdoor kitchen that can be completely closed in with canvas.
Aerial view
Andre van Rensburg/ Ocean Sotheby's Realty
Tiki huts
Andre van Rensburg/ Ocean Sotheby's Realty
Outdoor kitchen
Andre van Rensburg/ Ocean Sotheby's Realty
If swimming doesn’t sound appealing to you, check out the areas for volleyball and shuffleboard. Meanwhile, the designer of the professional tennis court also drew up courts for Venus and Serena Williams.
In addition to places to play, there are plenty of places to sleep and lounge around. The main house on the property has just a single bedroom, but it’s a roomy place to rest your head.
The master bathroom has an indoor/outdoor shower, plenty of living space, and a huge kitchen with a massive island and an equally massive sink.
Kitchen
Andre van Rensburg/ Ocean Sotheby's Realty
A special metal and concrete structure had to be built to hold the sink, Bellion says, because it weighs in the range of 2,000 pounds.
There’s a completely separate second home under the same roof, with two bedrooms, bathrooms, living space, and a kitchen.
For your guest, four more bedrooms can be found in the property’s lighthouse.
Lighthouse bedroom
Andre van Rensburg/ Ocean Sotheby's Realty
“In the lighthouse, you can go up and up and up,” the agent says. “The higher levels have little futons, and kids can sleep in bunk beds.”
Overall, the property has seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms, perfect for an extended family with their children and grandchildren.
At one time, a company held weddings on the property, but the current owner used the area as a private residence. Boaters will appreciate its more than 700 feet of water frontage, with multiple boat slips and lifts.
Frontage
Andre van Rensburg/ Ocean Sotheby's Realty
Because of the compound’s unique appearance, the dock attracts a fair share of gawkers.
“Every now and then, they have people coming to the dock and stepping on the property and asking when they open for lunch,” the agent says. “It happens pretty often.”
The owners recently purchased a ranch in Wyoming and plan to raise grass-fed beef cattle there. With the Great Plains calling, they are apparently ready to part with this playful retreat.
All the homes surrounding this standout in the city’s Port Largo neighborhood are on lots of a normal size, Bellion explains. The compound is located at the end of the community, up against the Atlantic Ocean.
He says this property would be a perfect retreat for a large family or for a corporation.
“It’s a resort—it’s really like a private resort, where everything is done commercial-grade. It’s really made for entertaining.”
The coronavirus pandemic has many Americans rethinking the kind of lifestyle they want. Apartment living in central, densely populated urban areas is losing its appeal as residents are subject to building restrictions and risk coming into contact with people infected by the virus.
Polling data suggests that nearly one-third of Americans are considering a move to less populous areas, and in some regions, they are already relocating. Between March 15 and April 28, moves from New York City to Connecticut, for instance, jumped 74% compared to the previous year, and the Hamptons have already been flooded with New Yorkers fleeing the city.
The desire for space and privacy—and for control over who comes and goes from one’s home—is stronger than ever, making single-family homes an especially smart investment now.
“Single-family homes in the post-Covid era are a more flexible kind of living arrangement,” said Janet Feinberg Schindler, a broker with Sotheby’s International Realty in San Francisco. “There are no board members imposing rules on how you live. Outdoor space can be enjoyed freely with your family, and no one is there to enforce social distancing. If you want to sell it, or rent it, you only need to make that decision yourself without consulting anyone.”
Single-family homes in suburbs just outside major cities offer particularly good opportunities to make a strong return on investment.
“The number of single-family homes being rented is off the charts,” especially at the high end, said Candace Adams, CEO & President of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New York, New England and Westchester Properties. “In Connecticut, rentals for over $5,000 a month have increased by 33% year over year, and by 59% for rentals over $8,000 a month.”
On the West Coast, too, there has been a surge in interest in single-family rentals, as wealthy Americans test-drive a more suburban lifestyle amid the Covid-19 crisis.
“I just sold two homes to investors that will lease for $15,000 to $16,000 a month,” said James Harris, a broker with The Agency in Los Angeles. “It’s so cheap to borrow that you’re making 10% on your money a year. It’s a very good return on investment, and I think over the next five to seven years, you’re going to see capital appreciation.”
However, he adds, apartment living isn’t losing its luster entirely. High-end, full-service condos that go the extra mile to protect residents will still appeal to buyers.
“People love full-service living, and there will be new measures put into place by these developments for those people, I’m sure,” Mr. Harris said.
The appeal of single-family properties post-Covid
Before the outbreak of coronavirus, demand for single-family homes was already high, and some real estate experts expect that the current pause on much of the buying and selling in the U.S. will lead to pent-up demand post-Covid.
Investing in single-family homes not just on the outskirts of cities but within them could lead to strong returns.
“From an investment standpoint, I have always been a firm believer in the value and desirability of a single-family home, particularly in a city as dense as San Francisco, where the amount of land is limited, and new homes cannot be built,” Ms. Feinberg Schindler said.
Given that many boards and homeowners’ associations in apartment buildings are restricting visitors and services, and curtailing buyers’ ability to see units for sale, the greater autonomy provided by single-family home living will become more of a draw.
In the wake of the pandemic, urban-dwelling millennials are expected to start looking for more square footage in the suburbs but are more likely to rent than to buy, presenting opportunities for investors to earn rental income.
“Millennials want to have more space, but they don’t want the responsibility of owning,” Ms. Adams said. “Uncertainty makes people more apt to rent, not knowing where the job market might land them. So it’s a fabulous time to move money into real estate as an investment, as opposed to financial markets.”
South Florida could be a promising market for investors, as people from the Northeast head south seeking more space and waterfront living. Florida’s lack of income tax and lower property taxes are also a major draw for buyers from high tax states like New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
“In the upcoming season, we’re expecting that independent homes with pools will get more attention,” said Daniela Bonetti, a broker with ONE Sotheby’s International Realty in Miami Beach. “Earlier this year, the price of single-family home rentals increased by a lot, especially waterfront homes. Even if it’s expensive as an investment, it’s worthwhile, because [owners] do get a lot of rental money per month, and we don’t think prices will go down.”
In Palm Beach, too, demand is higher for houses than for condos, particularly from buyers with young families seeking private beaches and more space for their children.
“There are a number of New Yorkers who are working away from the city now, and Covid is causing a resurgence of activity here,” said Ashley Copeland, a broker with Brown Harris Stevens in Palm Beach. “Supply and demand always makes this island a safe investment because our inventory is on the low side, and now we’re having unusual demand here.”
What features to look for in single-family homes
Investors should consider which property features will be especially in demand, given the way the coronavirus pandemic has altered Americans’ ways of living and working. Outdoor space, for instance, will be a more appealing feature than ever, and having a dedicated office for working from home will be a top priority.
“Having private outdoor space is going to be perceived as a greater luxury, whether it be in the form of a deck off an apartment or a garden associated with a house,” Ms. Feinberg Schindler said. “Personal outdoor space enables one the peace of mind to know someone else won’t be violating social distancing, as well as the comfort of knowing that whatever you may touch is your own and won’t be contaminated by the outside world.”
Investors should also look closely at properties in gated communities, where the sense of greater security will be a draw to buyers.
“When we start talking about the high end, buyers are really going to start looking for gated communities,” Mr. Harris said. “People are also very focused on land, and they want privacy and swimming pools. They’re going to change their lifestyles, with a lot more working from home, and if this [pandemic] were to come back, people want to feel as though they are prepared and their home can be their sanctuary.”
It looks as if Khloé Kardashian is ready to part ways with her Calabasas, CA, estate.
According to TMZ, the “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” star is on the hunt for a buyer with $19 million to spend on her Mediterranean manse. The 11,000-square-foot home isn’t officially listed—yet—but the web is already buzzing over her possible real estate move.
Khloé’s ultra-private and renovated villa sits in the exclusive enclave known as The Oaks. It’s just a few doors down from her sister Kourtney Kardashian, who purchased a home from the retired football player Keyshawn Johnson in 2014.
As the years pass and the transactions pile up, we’ve tried our darnedest to keep up with Khloé’s real estate portfolio. Here’s where the youngest Kardashian sister has called home.
From Justin to Khloé
The mansion she’s supposedly parting with has a history of its own. Khloé bought the six-bedroom, seven-bathroom, 9,214-square-foot spread from the pop star Justin Bieber for $7.2 million in 2014.
Bieber had purchased the place for $6.5 million from Nicole Murphy, the ex-wife of the comedian Eddie Murphy, in April 2012.
He proceeded to alienate his neighbors with an array of high jinks, which culminated in an egg-tossing incident that cost him $80,000.
The singer also reportedly left behind a skateboard ramp in the backyard, which Kardashian promptly removed.
Once Bieber left Calabasas, Khloé spent a pretty penny tailoring the home to her tastes. But even if the costs of the renovation ran into a couple of million dollars, she’d still be strolling away with a sweet profit if a buyer comes up with the $19 million ask.
Kardashian’s Calabasas, CA, home before the renovation
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The double-gated Oaks community offers the social media star privacy from prying eyes, and proximity to her sister Kourtney. The sisters even shared a decorator, Martyn Lawrence Bullard, and coverage of their differing aesthetic preferences in Architectural Digest.
When Khloé purchased the home from the pop star, it was “a giant play palace built for a boisterous young man,” Bullard told AD.
“We decided to give it some romance, bringing it back to its Mediterranean roots.”
The finished product can be spotted on Kardashian’s Instagram account, as well as in scenes from “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”
In 2019, the reality TV star had yet another set of renovations performed on the house. After living in a rental home for a bit while work was underway, she moved back into the home last June, according to People magazine.
The magazine also reports she’s been sheltering in place at the refreshed space with her daughter, True,
The newly updated abode is one of just 16 properties in the gated community, and covers 1.28 acres, with views of Malibu Canyon. It has a pool and spa, multiple outdoor spaces, a home theater, and a guesthouse, according to TMZ.
Living the Tarzana life
Before following her family to Calabasas, Kardashian lived in a Mediterranean-style mansion in Tarzana, CA, with her husband at the time, the basketball player Lamar Odom. They purchased the 8,000-square-foot residence for $3.95 million in 2009.
The swanky spot featured six en suite bedrooms, a home gym, library, office, and theater room. The grounds include a swimming pool with water features, a large lounge area, and an outdoor kitchen.
After the couple split, they placed the home on the market in 2014 for $5.5 million. It eventually sold to actress Kaley Cuoco for that exact sum.
However, Cuoco took a huge hit when she put the home back on the market in 2019. She listed it for $6.9 million, and had it on the market for over a year, before finally selling it this spring for just $3.95 million.
Kardashian’s home with Lamar Odom in Tarzana, CA
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Detour to Dallas
In 2012, Kardashian and Odom also shared a posh apartment in the W Dallas Victory Hotel & Residences, when the baller left the Los Angeles Lakers to join the Dallas Mavericks.
The two reportedly paid $7,500 a month for the two-bedroom, two-bath condo owned by Mack Hicks, son of Dallas businessman Tom Hicks, who owns the Texas Rangers.
If psychedelic colors, copious amounts of wood paneling, and wrought-iron railings are your bag, you will love this week’s most popular home on realtor.com®.
It’s a time capsule that has remained relatively untouched for over five decades. Built in 1967, the Missouri home is still in pristine condition—from its hot-pink carpets and hand-carved wood paneling to a selection of bold wallpapers plucked straight from Carol Brady’s vision board.
Originally designed to look like an English manor, the home covers 34 acres and is crammed with architectural gems, for example, hand-carved fireplace mantles and a standout spiral staircase.
Spiral staircase
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Out front, there’s an amazing curved porte-cochère that welcomes guests to the estate. Surrounding the ’60s throwback house are more than 34 acres of pastoral land dotted with barns and guesthouses, for a private retreat unlike any other.
The Missouri throwback wasn’t the only oversized property to make our list. Michael Jordan‘s enormous mansion near Chicago continued to rack up clicks, even though it’s been on the market for nearly a decade.
The mansion’s new wave of popularity comes thanks to ESPN’s blockbuster documentary “The Last Dance.”
Even though the price on MJ’s home has been cut a number of times, no buyer has seen fit to roll through the front gates emblazoned with the number “23” and make an offer.
Other homes you clicked on this week included a lavish Tennessee estate with an epic pool party setup, a must-see modern home in Washington, and a waterfront castle—in Kansas City.
For a full look at this week’s most popular properties, simply scroll on down…
Price: $299,000 Why it’s here: Can we get an amen? Built in 1950, this church has been converted into an incredible seven-bedroom home with over 10,000 square feet of living space.
The former sanctuary now serves as an oversized living room and kitchen, and the original bell tower is still intact.
Best of all? Most of the work is done. The converted church boasts new plumbing, fixtures, ceiling fans, and appliances.
Price: $975,000 Why it’s here: Sleek and modern, this exquisite home in the southeast of Washington state was built in 2012. The five-bedroom home sits on a 1.7-acre lot and is loaded with upgrades, including a gourmet kitchen and a biofuel fireplace in the living room.
Outside, the home has a heated saltwater gunite pool with fountains and a guest casita. The home’s stylish appeal resonated with buyers—it’s pending sale after less than a week on the market.
Price: $100,000 Why it’s here: Prepare your paddle! This three-bedroom waterfront home is headed for auction, with an opening bid of $100,000. It must be sold by June 10.
Built in 1963 and totally redone in 2017, it’s built to last, thanks to custom steel reinforcements and a safe room for security. It’s on a large lot close to beaches, shopping, and dining.
Price: $14,855,000 Why it’s here: A rare miss for Air Jordan. The estate of pro basketball’s GOAT Michael Jordan is still on the market and is back on the minds of curious viewers of “The Last Dance.”
Featuring luxe amenities and customizations that were tailored for Jordan’s passions, the 56,000-square-foot mansion was built in 1995 and has been up for sale since 2012.
If buyers ever decide to take a shot, they’ll acquire an estate with a regulation basketball court, gym, circular infinity pool, putting green, tennis court, and cigar room.
Price: $850,000 Why it’s here: Built in 1810, this historically significant property has been impeccably maintained and updated.
The warm, cozy interiors of the four-bedroom home feature original wood-plank floors, two staircases, five fireplaces, and a music room.
It’s surrounded by 35 pastoral acres, with a staggering 16 additional structures on the property, including a guesthouse, summer kitchen, horse barn, shop, and multiuse barn.
Price: $2,395,000 Why it’s here: Formal from every angle and built in 2004, this five-bedroom Tudor estate sits on 3.5 acres and offers over 13,000 square feet of living space.
Frescoes, floor-to-ceiling windows, walnut floors, and beamed ceilings are just a few of the property’s interior highlights. Outside, the gorgeous grounds offer a tranquil respite from everyday life.
Price: $4,995,500 Why it’s here: Inspired by Ashford Castle in Ireland, this five-bedroom Tudor is filled with extraordinary details, like hand-scraped oak floors, original stained glass, a hand-carved fireplace mantle, and an elevator.
Three lots were combined to create this 1-acre property, with its amazing 350 feet of shoreline on Weatherby Lake.
Price: $8,000,000 Why it’s here: It’ll feel like vacation every day at this luxurious mansion, with its amazing outdoor setup.
We love the terraced outdoor entertaining area and pool. The outdoor living area is to die for.
For additional outdoor time, there’s a sundeck, pergola, fire pit, and plenty of patio seating. Inside, the six-bedroom home is loaded with luxe amenities, such as hickory floors, a huge kitchen, and a Creston Smart Home system.
Price: $475,000 Why it’s here: Everyone loves a well-preserved time capsule. If these walls could talk, they’d tell you it’s 1967 all over again. This seven-bedroom home looks relatively untouched from the day it was built, and the interiors aren’t dilapidated in the least.
Peep the deep red carpet in the formal living area, the dark wood cabinetry in the kitchen, and the variety of loud colors and patterned wallpapers throughout the home’s bedrooms.
Mark Bezos, younger brother of world’s richest man Jeff Bezos, is selling his swanky 4-acre estate in Scarsdale, NY, for $11 million.
Built in 1905, the property last changed hands in 2008 for $4 million. The younger Bezos soon embarked on a major renovation to the home.
It now features modern amenities and “timeless finishes,” according to the listing, which describes it as “one of the most beautiful homes in Scarsdale.”
The property includes a main house with six bedrooms, four bathrooms, and five powder rooms, and a four-bedroom, four-bathroom guesthouse.
Mark Bezos’ Scarsdale, NY, estate
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Entry
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Living room with custom bar
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Dining room
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Kitchen and casual eating area
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Game room
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Second-floor atrium
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Pool with slide
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The approximately 10,000-square-foot main house features a 22-foot entry foyer, which leads to a living room with custom bar, kitchen with casual dining area, and formal dining room.
Other rooms worth noting include a home office, home theater, game room equipped with a golf simulator, gym, wine cellar, and second-floor atrium.
The 3,500-square-foot guesthouse includes a great room, kitchen, and changing rooms.
Outside, there are dining and lounging spaces, a heated pool with waterslide, spa, and stone fire pit.
Located just a half-hour train ride from midtown Manhattan, the upscale Westchester County community boasts “stellar public schools and luxurious parks and pools,” according to the New York Times. Bezos’ purchase and subsequent renovations resulted in “inflated prices and taxes for his neighbors.”
The posh neighborhood is right in the middle of Scarsdale, close to Heathcote Five Corners, Scarsdale Village, and the Golden Horseshoe shopping center.
Bezos has put roots down in the community. He’s served as a volunteer firefighter for the Scarsdale Fire Department, and even gave a popular Ted Talk about his experience.
Bezos has also served as senior vice president of communications, marketing, and events for the Robin Hood Foundation, ananti-poverty organization. Previously, he owned an advertising agency, which he sold in 2006. He is also a founding partner of Venly.
Andrea K. Weiss with Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty holds the listing.
