Luxury Real Estate

By Brian Langhorst

Photosynth is one of the latest projects from Microsoft to come out of their Live Labs group and development business.

This unique program will take photos that you specify from your camera or computer desktop and find the similarities in each photo and create a visual presentation piecing these photos together. It might be hard to see what the big deal is based on this short description, but I encourage you to visit the Photosynth site and you will better understand just how fascinating this new tool is.

I feel this tool will be great for luxury real estate agent and brokerages. How many times have homebuyers or sellers commented that photos do not properly capture a unique or special high-end listing? This new tool from Microsoft could be a great way to create more eye-catching presentations to allow potential buyers to see the luxury property in its true form.

Our team here will be sure to continue to present our members with the most innovative tools and opportunities, such as Photosynth, for their business.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback on this new tool!


Editor’s Note:
Brian Langhorst is LuxuryRealEstate.com’s Membership Manager. He meets members’ unique needs through the dynamic services LuxuryRealEstate.com provides. It seems like there are endless possibilities and new technologies being created all the time. It will be very exciting to keep an eye on this Photosynth program and other innovative Web tools coming out. Thanks for the heads-up, Brian! The photo above is from www.flickr.com/photos/tommybart2000/2688931093 and it is the copyright of Thomas Barthelet.

By Jim Walberg
From his blog: East Bay Real Estate Community Supports “Stand Down”!

2008 “Stand Down” serves 600 homeless veterans at the Alameda County Fairgrounds August 7th - 10th!

Another example as to how your real-estate community and its service providers continue to give back to the needs of the Bay Area was demonstrated on Friday, Aug. 8 at 5:30 a.m. at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. Members of the REALTORS® Marketing Association served breakfast to a “village” of war veterans.

Every two years the Diablo Valley Vietnam Veterans Association arranges for an entire “tent city” to be set up in the East Bay so homeless veterans can be served. “Stand Down” is a term used during war to describe the practice of removing combat troops from the field and take care of their basic needs in a safe place. That is exactly what has been created for 600 homeless veterans this week. The RMA contracts Ruggie’s Restaurant in San Ramon to supply ALL the food they serve.

REALTOR® Mike Weber, a member of the Diablo Valley Vietnam Veterans, is the person who continues to invite the real-estate community to be a participant in supporting this important project. They always say YES! Some of the services available for these lost, but not forgotten, veterans are:

- Medical facilities to serve their health needs – including dental, plus a follow-up care program.

- A “field court” with county judges to fast-track clearing up legal issues that may be preventing these veterans from securing employment.

- Job-placement services that also assists them in having DMV re-issued driver’s licenses.

- Assisting with identifying residential opportunities.

- A complete barber shop, new clothing, shoes and other basic clothing needs.

Members of the Diablo Valley Vietnam Veterans were inspired to create the first East Bay Stand Down in 1999 in order to provide a respite from the “streets.” In the midst of all the services provided, their commitment is to treat each of these veterans with respect and dignity. Most of us are unaware, and maybe don’t want to know, that there are about 154,000 homeless veterans on the streets of our cities on any given night. Just in our Bay Area there are over 7,000 homeless veterans! An even sadder statistic is that a BIG number of these veterans have little or no contact with Veteran Administration for either medial or financial aid. Stand Down directly addresses the issue that cannot be ignored any longer - aiding and assisting veterans in need to improve their lives, no matter how difficult it may be to do so.

The first Stand Down was held in San Diego in 1988. It has now been integrated into over 200 cities around the country with over 200,000 veterans and their families being served. A key objective is to break the cycle of the homeless epidemic within the veteran community. These are the men and women who have served our country, and we need to make sure they are not forgotten.

A quote that is appropriate for their mission is, “A community is often judged by how well it takes care of its own.” Serving the needs of those who have served to protect and create Freedom in the world is a worth activity for all of us to consider. Please contact Stand Down or Jim Walberg if you want to personally get involved, or to make financial contributions. Also, contact me any time to find out about other service opportunities for Bay Area community projects. Until next time… your East Bay real estate detective remains on duty.


Editor’s Note:
Jim Walberg is the co-Broker/Owner of The Bay Area Team, the most-successful team at Keller Williams Realty-Danville. He is also a member of the global LuxuryRealEstate.com network. Jim is an exceptional blogger, as you can see by visiting his blogs, East Bay Real Estate and Caribbean Islands Realty, and reading his great blog entries like the one above. He is the master of fractionals and other luxury homes in the Bay Area and the Caribbean, and he always has a lot of great opportunities to share. Philanthropy is awesome. We should all follow the Golden Rule as we go about our many activities in this life. Great people aren’t those who leave behind the most wealth when they die, but those who bless others’ lives and seek to lift their brothers and sisters on their shoulders. Luxury properties are what we sell, but people are who we serve.

By Michael Marquette
From his blog: View from the Bridge: Michael Marquette’s comments to the Australian Financial Review

Homeowners and investors have welcomed suggestions that the Reserve Bank of Australia will cut interest rates this year, but will the banks pass the rate cuts onto borrowers?

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has told Australians to change banks if they fail to pass on rate reductions. The banks have had no problem increasing rates to levels higher than official rate increases and have even increased rates despite the Reserve Bank keeping them on hold.

In an interview with The Australian Financial Review last week I was asked what it would take to restore confidence in the market. I expect buyers to remain cautious until the banks show that any rate reductions will be passed on. I believe a rate cut of around 1 percent is needed to restore buyer confidence as I’m hearing increasingly that buyers and vendors are skeptical that banks will pass on the rate cuts. A reduction of 100 basis points will result in the market reacting in a positive way, even half a percent will be looked on cautiously.

So the question is buy now or wait? The answer is simple. There are some fantastic buys in the luxury market at the moment and this will continue for the foreseeable future. As the stock market wobbles, dividends decrease and share prices drop bricks and mortar will become a major focus for many investors.

If you find the right luxury property at the right price and choose the right lender, your decision is an easy one to make. My only advice is to ensure sure that you keep your lender honest, and if “changing banks,” as PM Rudd suggests, make sure you are aware of all fees and costs that may apply.


Editor’s Note:
Michael Marquette is the co-Founder and Director of Marquette Turner Luxury Homes in East Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded on Australia Day 2007 by Marquette and Simon Turner, Marquette Turner is a property consultancy company covering the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria. Marquette has a background in medicine and a large retail and wholesale business. When banks charge unfair fees for their services, they are not building good relationships of trust with potential clients. I prefer kindness and openness when working with people. Thanks for the insightful blog entry, Michael! The photo of the Australian dollar coins is from www.flickr.com/photos/astro-dudes/913087028 and it is the copyright of Claire L. Evans.

By Robert Lockard

There are so many fun one-liners I could use to sum up this story, it’s hard to pick just one. I’ll go ahead and try this one: Elvis has left the building, and now that building can be yours! Yeah, that’ll work.

Elvis Presley’s “Graceland West” estate in Palm Springs, Calif. is now for sale. Talk about a house with some history, this two-acre estate, nestled in the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains, is where Elvis (the king of Rock and Roll) lived for almost eight years, recorded eight songs in the living room in 1973 and spent his last birthday. He died on Aug. 16, 1977 at the age of 42.

The seller of the estate is being represented by Honey Brooks of Pacific Union GMAC Real Estate, a member of Luxury Real Estate in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you’d like more information about this historic luxury property, email Honey Brooks or call her at 415.435.2585. You can also read much more about this property in a news release by Karen Monroe on LuxuryRealEstate.com.

By the way, whenever I think of Elvis Presley, the first thing that comes into my mind is the scene from “Top Secret” (1984), one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen, where Val Kilmer sings his hilarious rendition of Elvis’ famous song “Are you Lonesome Tonight?” Thanks to the magic of YouTube, you can watch Val Kilmer’s version and Elvis’ original below. Toward the end of his parody of the song, Val Kilmer sings so well that it’s hard to distinguish him from the king!






Editor’s Note:
Robert Lockard is the Public Relations & Media Specialist with LuxuryRealEstate.com. I am Robert. I create all of Luxury Real Estate’s newsletters, write the editorials in LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine and much more. I was really tempted to call this blog entry “Wake up with the King” Luckily, I refrained. You can share your blog entries on the Luxury Real Estate Blog by emailing them to me. The Elvis Presley portrait is from www.flickr.com/photos/bootbearwdc/2491351807 and it is the copyright of dbking.

By Michael Marquette

From his blog: Australian Auction Clearance Rates Crash!

Auction Clearance rates for the week ending July 27, 2008 indicate a property market in crisis. Sydney’s Clearance rate of just 36.5 percent is indicative of the disparity between vendors and buyers, with some real-estate agents caught in the middle.

Luxury real estate agents’ skills in both marketing and negotiating homes are being put to the test and many are being found short. Agents with reputations for overpricing properties (the practice of overpricing is used by some agents to win listings) are struggling to match the prices offered by buyers with the price expectations of vendors. Agents with the ability to communicate the best strategy at the time of listing are best placed to negotiate the highest price for vendors in the current market – well before a property is seen to become “stale.”

Getting the right agent is the key to successfully selling your home. Given that the total number of sales is down and the list of unsold properties is increasing, it is more important than ever to ensure that your luxury home is in safe hands. Given that spring, and the usual seasonal increase in the number of listings, is beckoning I stress the importance of making the right decisions the first time!



Editor’s Note:
Michael Marquette is the co-Founder and Director of Marquette Turner Luxury Homes in East Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded on Australia Day 2007 by Marquette and Simon Turner, Marquette Turner is a property consultancy company covering the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria. Marquette has a background in medicine and a large retail and wholesale business. Some markets are facing tough times, and it’s good to be aware of potential issues as well as opportunities. The photo of the crashing wave is from www.flickr.com/photos/victorgeere/24539591 and it is the copyright of Victor Geere.

By Jean-Yves Piton

While luxury properties are part of the conspicuous consumption group, unlike several other goods, their proposed premium prices are not a function of the premium brands they are attached to. Instead, factors such as location, amenities, space, architecture and historical value justify their premium prices around the world.

So, what type of luxury homes would you acquire in major metropolitan cites worldwide for $1 million USD in 2008?

According to “What $1 Million Buys in Homes Worldwide” by Matt Woosley, Friday, January 11, 2008, provided by Forbes.com, in New York, you can expect a 647-square-foot Turtle Bay condo with 45-square-foot balcony, white oak floors, and 11-and-a-half-foot ceilings. In London, you can purchase a one-bedroom, one-bathroom flat in Primrose Gardens. In Hong Kong, you can acquire a three-bedroom, 825-square-foot apartment in a high-rise between the residential areas of Aberdeen and Pokfulam.

While $1 million USD grants an invitation to the millionaire's club, it clearly does not buy the most spacious and astonishing luxury property in most top metropolitan cities worldwide in 2008. Based on the figures discussed earlier, such properties might just work as a pied-a-terre during a business trip or a short vacation.



This also explains why more buyers are currently opting for luxury fractional ownership, the trend ahead. This being said, keep in mind that this rapidly increasing trend applies to everything luxury in 2008 (from designer handbags to the finest properties).

So, how do you market a luxury fractional property? Evidently, it is easy to assume the same way you would promote a luxurious property. Partly due to the traditional premium variables like location, amenities, space, architecture and historical value. Also, though a fractional ownership, you could insist on the long-term investment, just as for any other luxurious property.

Nevertheless, there is another element, which must not be omitted to successfully advertise a luxury fractional property. That is promoting the dream to potential buyers and investors. There must be a fine balance of both emotional and rational communications to connect potential buyers to the properties through careful advertising. Where the rational communication focuses on owning a luxurious property (one of a kind), promoting the dream (the emotional communication) helps foster a sense of emotional connection (a state of being and/or sense of being).


Editor’s Note:
Jean-Yves Piton is the Global Services Membership Manager for LuxuryRealEstate.com. He assists Bente Madtsen, the Director of Global Services, in expanding the LuxuryRealEstate.com brand into even more countries around the world. Fractional ownership is a great tool for vacationers and other people looking for flexibility and great investment opportunities. I actually wrote an editorial on Private Residence Clubs, also known as fractionals, in the spring 2008 issue of LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine. Check it out! The photos of the front and back of the “$1 million” bill are the copyright of Simon Davison.

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.

We’ve also implemented online purchasing of Luxury Real Estate conference tickets and the Luxury Lounge will over time grow in to a hub for everything related to Luxury Real Estate. From managing your listings and exposure on LuxuryRealEstate.com to tracking your leads and much more. Rain or shine, noon or midnight. In the lounge, luxury professionals can utilize the full power of their Luxury Real Estate affiliation at the time and convenience of their choosing.

We have already started sending out invitations to a limited number of members, but will expand their reach over the coming weeks to the whole LuxuryRealEstate.com network. When you see an email with the subject “Invitation to Luxury Real Estate’s VIP Lounge” you know what it is all about. It is about embracing and empowering your interaction with the global Luxury Real Estate network.

Thank you for your participation!


Editor’s Note:
Michael Edlund is the Director of Technology with LuxuryRealEstate.com. He is in charge of all of LuxuryRealEstate.com’s Web projects, including website creation, software updates and implementation, and much more. Big changes are afoot here at Luxury Real Estate. The Luxury Real Estate Blog is gaining in popularity on Google, Yahoo and MSN searches, and now the Luxury Lounge is gaining momentum! With the rise of social-networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Naymz, many people are starting to see the possibilities opened up through them. This is a great chance to build relationships in creative ways online. Happy networking!

By Brian Langhorst

Each year some of the best tennis players in the region and country come to the Seattle Tennis Club on the shores of Lake Washington for the 118th Washington State Open.

John Brian Losh and the Ewing & Clark – Our Distinctive Home Shop team have been one of the headline sponsors for this notable event for over 10 years. Jane Powers, Betsy Losh and John Brian Losh all very much enjoy being a part of the Seattle and Madison Park communities. Together, they sponsor several key events throughout the year.

Editor’s Note:
Brian Langhorst is LuxuryRealEstate.com’s Membership Manager. He meets members’ unique needs through the dynamic services LuxuryRealEstate.com provides. There are so many positive events like this going on and I’m pleased to hear about all of them. Philanthropy should be an important part of every business that hopes to succeed. People recognize true kindness when they see it and I think it builds trust just as much trust and goodwill as successful track records and financial performance. Be sure to show how much you care!

By Robert Lockard

Thanks in large part to all of the wonderful contributors within the global Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate network, the Luxury Real Estate Blog is making a tremendous ascent in its ranking on major search engines, including Google, Yahoo and MSN.

www.LuxuryRealEstate.com is the most-viewed luxury real estate Web site in the world and it comes up first on most searches for luxury properties, luxury homes and luxury real estate. But the Luxury Real Estate Blog is fairly new and we’re building it up to the heights of our main Web site. We owe much of our success to Jim Walberg, John Brian Losh and many other bloggers who consistently contribute their fun work

Like my personal written works, I take pride in the writing found on the Luxury Real Estate Blog. As this blog’s editor, I feel particularly responsible for its quality and success. So it pleases me to no end to add so much great content almost daily and to find more comments from our fantastic readers. I also like seeing our blog climb in popularity with a number of search terms.

I’ve thought a lot about how best to organize the information on the Luxury Real Estate Blog’s ranking in the big three search engines. I’ve finally decided to simply put the same search terms in each row for easy comparison purposes and to roughly put them in order, from highest to lowest, in terms of their placement on search engines.

The following search terms and rankings were recorded on the morning of Thursday, July 31, 2008, and they’ll surely change in the coming days and weeks. At least this will give us a good reference for future searches so we can see how they improve, hopefully.

By Brian Langhorst

On September 26th and 27th at the Stonestreet Alexander Mountain Estate the owners of Chalk Hill and Jackson Family Wines present a wonderful philanthropic event designed to raise money for children. This great event offers notable wines, priceless trips, dinners and much more. To learn more about this event, please visit: www.sonomaparadiso.com/index.html.

Editor’s Note:
Brian Langhorst is LuxuryRealEstate.com’s Membership Manager. He meets members’ unique needs through the dynamic services LuxuryRealEstate.com provides. There are so many positive events like this going on and I’m pleased to hear about all of them. I find truly remarkable the inherent sense of generosity and justice in many Americans who enjoy such abundant wealth. John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Bill Gates and many other incredibly rich Americans have given back to their fellow citizens in wonderful ways.