Luxury Real Estate

Courtesy of: Maureen Buckley of Buckley & Buckley Real Estate

Doc's Marina Grill is located in one of the last old historic working waterfront buildings on Bainbridge Island. It has been named many times... as a tavern, starting with the Yodeling Oyster to its current incarnation as a restaurant known as Doc's Marina Grill. There are not many of the older generation Islanders still around, but those who are, fondly remember it as Mac's. The area was a sort of Bainbridge Island’s Cannery Row. One of the infamous events at Mac's was the beer fights. The Men’s restroom boasts a giant working periscope —offering a panoramic view of Eagle Harbor.

Courtesy of: Warburg Realty

Yes, it’s busy. Yes, there is a lack of inventory in many categories - in particular pre-war 2 and 3 bedrooms on the Upper West Side and in Carnegie Hill, which are flying off the shelves at a rapid rate, after Open Houses visited by 50 or 75 buyers, and often with several bids. No, the bids are not, mostly, above the asking price. But sometimes they are (it all depends, of course, on the asking price) Yes, there are still a lot of new condos for sale, even though absorption for those has picked up substantially as well. And yes, buyers DO think, often, that they may have missed the bottom and want to get in now, although many still bid low, just to be on the safe side. Sellers are just starting to think about how the discussions in Washington about changing the Federal capital gains tax rates may affect them, since selling a property two years from now may be a lot more expensive.

The market changes of 2009 wiped the slate clean for both buyer and seller behavior. In 2010, we see a new paradigm taking shape. There is market activity. There is limited inventory. Negotiations are often equally weighted between a more empowered buyer and a more flexible seller. Bonuses make those who receive them feel more financially confident but do not generate market frenzy. Nor do they elevate prices so much that those in other professions feel unable to participate. There is for today a certain balance in the market. We like it.

Courtesy of: Eric Kodner of Wayazata Lakes Realty, LLC

Eric Kodner of Wayazata Real Estate is being featured in Residential Specialist magazine. In October 2009, Eric gave an interview to Regina Ludes which you will find in the article.

The article is entitled, "Letter.Perfect: CRSs Find Unique Ways to Promote the Designation to Clients and Agents".

To view the article, click here!

Courtesy of: Nicola Christinger of HomeHunts

Rooted in the rural French countryside, or on the edge of a scenic little village, the French country farmhouse opens its wooden, welcoming doors to all who step inside.

This ever popular style oozes rustic warmth and its design includes curved arches, soft lines and stonework. Inside, you’ll find wooden beams, plaster walls and stone floors and if you close your eyes it is easy to imagine the the smell of the log burning stove and the feel of the sun-warmed stone tiles beneath your feet.

Courtesy of: Nicola Christinger of HomeHunts

For many buyers and owners finding a reliable and superior design company to help realize their plans is not always easy.

FG design is an original and dynamic Interior Architect Studio made up of two sister companies which undertake projects of full design and project management services to complete construction and renovation.

Courtesy of: Nicola Christinger of HomeHunts

Valbonne and Mougins are both villages which are extremely popular with buyers looking for either a second home or a permanent residence on the Cote d’azur. For many years it has been a favourite destination and it is no wonder- this upmarket area has much to offer.

Both the villages are very beautiful, having inspired some of the world’s most famous artists such as Matisse and Picasso.

Courtesy of: Nicola Christinger of HomeHunts

For the fifth consecutive year, France has been selected the best place in the world to live by International Living magazine, a US-based lifestyle magazine for retirees wishing to travel or live abroad.

The magazine, which has been conducting the survey for 30 years, rhapsodized about France on its website: “Its tiresome bureaucracy and high taxes are outweighed by an unsurpassable quality of life, including the world’s best healthcare.” The magazine declared, “You don’t need number-crunchers to tell you its bon vivant lifestyle is special.”

International Living based its ranking on a point system, with each of the 194 nations being graded based on nine categories: Cost of Living, Culture and Leisure, Economy, Environment, Freedom, Health, Infrastructure, Safety and Risk, and Climate. The US came in at number seven (down from third place in 2009’s rankings, which, according to the magazine’s editors, was due to increased hardships in the US following the financial crisis), and the UK came in at 25th. www.internationalliving.com

Courtesy of: Nicola Christinger of HomeHunts

It’s true that the 7th arrondissement is considered one of Paris’ most elegant residential areas. Luxurious townhouses, government ministries and embassies abound – setting up home in this area is one step closer to heaven.

And it is also one of the richest neighborhoods for certain other luxuries in life like art and antiques. Strolling around rue de Beaune or rue de Verneuil is like taking a walk through a French history book. The multitude of highly competent antique shops and galleries display century’s worth of artistic tradition and heritage.

The best time to discover the 7th is during the week because if you decide to go gallery browsing on a Saturday strangely enough a good many of the shops will be closed. If you are looking for great shopping in Paris, it doesn’t get much better than the 7th.

Courtesy of: Nicola Christinger of HomeHunts

Changes to rules concerning foreigners coming to work in France have further enhanced their favourable tax status and broadened the scope of those who are eligible – provided they have not been French tax residents in the five years preceding their new appointment.

Under the old regime, the tax authorities allowed certain categories of employees and officers temporarily assigned to work in France to be exempt from tax, for a maximum period totaling six years.

Courtesy of: Nicola Christinger of HomeHunts

Although the global economic downturn has made the last 18 months hard for the real estate industry, France has benefitted from not having an overpriced market and a system that is more cautious and less gung-ho in terms of lending.

Areas such as Aquitaine and Languedoc Roussillon have ridden out the recession well with house prices down just 0.3% and 0.2% respectively. Alistair Lockhart, Sales and Marketing Manager at The French Property Agents (FPA) is also confident about the region. ‘We feel that the Dordogne will also make a comeback in 2010’.