I don’t get to visit homes valued at $1,000,000 (or $2,000,000 in California) very often if at all. If I were to visit these homes, I would see designed kitchens, wine cellars, entertainment rooms, wet bars, and theater seating. I’m far from being able to afford the amenities often considered a necessity such as security ... Continue reading this article…

Here’s another update to the saga in which my girlfriend and I look for an apartment. This is particularly difficult considering she works in Queens and I work in New Jersey. We would like to live somewhere in the middle, but we’re having a hard time finding affordable, decent apartments that are a “fair” commuting ... Continue reading this article…

As I mentioned on Friday, my girlfriend and I are looking for an apartment somewhat halfway between where we both work (Queens and central New Jersey). The island of Manhattan tends to cause problems drawing straight lines on a map, so we’re looking in two places:

Some housing market analysts are saying that Manhattan prices are showing weakness. While median prices increased last year, the places being sold were bigger. The price per square foot didn’t change much at $1,004, according to the article. An older article cites the same sources listing $970 per square foot in July 2005, making the ... Continue reading this article…

I received a notice this weekend from my employer advising that a new investment option will be available within my 401(k). Here’s what the pamphlet had to say about the new fund: The Fund will invest primarily in existing private real estate funds, publicly traded real estate securities, including REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) securities, ... Continue reading this article…

Gurus like David Bach and Robert Kiyosaki profess the best way to get rich is real estate (while their net worth continues to increase through the sale of books and seminars). But what good is increased equity in the house if the only way you can use that money is to sell the house (downsize) ... Continue reading this article…

In order to keep from lowering their asking price, home sellers are adding extra incentives to draw attention to their houses. To attract buyers, sellers are offering cars, European trips, landscaping for a year, and even 42″ plasma televisions at no extra cost. It sounds to me like it’s getting tough to move houses by ... Continue reading this article…

Slate is presenting an interesting essay slideshow on McMansions, the supersized abodes we love to hate. Why are Americans obsessed with big houses? The booming economy of the 1980s created great personal wealth, and wealth found expression in domestic architecture, as it always does. These large houses were variously referred to as trophy houses, starter ... Continue reading this article…