Maureen Mengel Blog

Villa Colibri in Beverly Hills is listed for $72 million. Marc Angeles/Unlimited Style Photography Virtually everyone remembers American Idol superstars Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, Katherine McPhee and Adam Lambert, talented singers who achieved instant fame on the reality series. Few recall the spectacular Beverly Hills Tuscan mansion that housed Idol contestants during their pursuit of music fame. Until now. ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT After a meticulous seven-year renovation, Villa Colibri is reimagined as an iconic estate of spellbinding art, elite amenities and architectural ingenuity. Now it can be had for a song—well, if that song is worth $72 million (the official list price). If that induces sticker shock, it’s okay—dreaming about owning this villa is free. Like the special Idols , this estate has the “ it factor .” Accessed via double gates, Villa Colibri sits majestically on 10.5 acres with unobstructed Franklin Canyon Reserve a...

Ritz-Carlton Wine Library Ritz-Carlton Residences Miami Beach With U.S. wine consumption up considerably according to Forbes , it’s no surprise luxury developers are paying attention. Greg Malin, CEO of San Francisco-based Troon Pacific, recently developed an ultra-luxury city estate, Residence 950   on Russian Hill. Malin took notice of San Francisco's dedicated oenophiles. On the market for $45 million, the property includes a custom-designed and statement-making wine wall and storage room. The 35 foot-long and 9 foot tall custom wine wall is directly above the home’s art gallery and lined with sliding glass and thermally protected doors. Construction and design assure collectors their wines will maintain the proper temperatures even a sommelier would approve of. The wine wall features both up and down lighting, dark wood panels, and black steel pins to display all your vintages. Both the display wall and adjacent 65-square foot storage room holds 1,000...

A quarter of those rookie Realtors identify as minorities. And given the increasingly diverse makeup of the home buying public, it’s more timely than ever for real estate agents to consider how to foster diversity in their ranks as well as how best to interact with diverse customers.  How to foster and benefit from diversity in real estate curated from Inman

Long & Foster CEO Jeff Detwiler is unhappy with the state of agent professionalism, training and supervision in the real estate industry. He put virtual brokerages in the crosshairs in conversation with David Charron, the president of MRIS Investors, at Inman Connect in New York City on Thursday. Virtual brokerages ‘will pull us all down’ curated from Inman

Lauryn Evarts of The Skinny Confidential in her dreamy West Hollywood bathroom. Arielle Levy The bathroom might be one of the most intimate rooms in the home, but they are also our sanctuaries. Bathrooms are spaces where we can lock the door and (hopefully) no one will bother us. Whether it’s just a five-minute shower or a long bath with a book and some music, our bathrooms are places to feel restored. But because bathrooms are often small and narrow, they can pose a variety of design challenges. These influencers and entrepreneurs generously shared a range of bathrooms from average sized to chic powder rooms, and essentially full-on home spas as well as their design tips for achieving a similar look in your own home. Lauryn Evarts Here's the skinny on Evarts' bathroom. Arielle Levy Influencer and entrepreneur Lauryn Evarts of The Skinny Confidential is a beauty product aficionado. While she claims to be a minimalist, she still needs lots of storage in the...

A concept for startups. photo credit: Getty Getty This is the first article in a 12-part series titled #StartupLife. A few weeks ago, I put out a call on social media and through word of mouth for PropTech startup founders to answer a 12 point questionnaire on their experience as startuppers. I received almost 70 responses from founders in a multitude of countries, hailing from different backgrounds, working in diverse areas of real estate and who are implementing a variety of tech solutions to solve a host of problems with startups of varying degrees of maturity. ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT In this series, we will look at their motivations for getting into this industry, the barriers they faced, the joys and disappointments they experienced, and much more. The goal is to understand what truly goes into being a PropTech startup founder. Over the next few months, I will publish one article per question asked. Let's get started! Why did you decide to beco...

A recap of ICNY's Wednesday General Sessions, Marketing Connect & Data Connect. In Pictures: Inman Connect New York, Day 4 curated from Inman

The Standish, a former hotel that has been redeveloped into condos, is the new home for actors Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and John Krasinski. StreetEasy Real estate in the historic New York City neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights is so hot you could warm up from the bitter cold weather just by reading about it. Among the celebrities to take notice of the charming riverfront enclave are Emily Blunt and John Krasinski, who earlier this month bought two apartments for $11 million in The Standish , a redeveloped, 12-story Beaux Arts hotel originally built in 1903. The star couple reportedly plan to combine two eighth-floor condos into one massive home fit for Hollywood royalty. Their interest in The Standish was perhaps sparked by fellow actor Matt Damon, who last year closed on a penthouse in the building for a whopping $16.7 million . This was the highest residential price tag ever recorded in Brooklyn, unless you count a $20 million deal in October for two ap...

In 2031, the majority of Gen-Zers will hit their prime homebuying age at 30. But will they even be able to afford a home? Maybe, but only if they start saving now. According to a realtor.com study released on Thursday , the average Gen-Zer will need to save $304 per month for the next 12 years to afford a 10 percent down payment and closing costs for a median-priced home ($386,310) by the time they’re 30. This assumes that home prices will only grow 3.2 percent year-over-year each year for the next decade. If $304 per month sounds steep for an 18-year-old, it’s a bargain compared to what Gen-Zers on West Coast will have to stash away to achieve their home buying goals. San Jose is the most expensive market, with an estimated monthly savings goal of $1,962 per month to afford a median-priced home of $2,496,370. San Francisco is the second most expensive market with a monthly savings goal of $1,439 to afford a median-priced home of $1,831,140. Los Angeles ($979/mo.), Honolulu...

At the Inman Connect New York 2019 real estate conference on Tuesday, a panel consisting of three teen and 20-something members of “ Generation Z ” stressed that although they believe technology is important, it’s not the only integral aspect of buying a home. Led by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate chief marketing officer Jennifer Marchetti, the talk highlighted the trust, communication, and human touch the next generation is looking for when thinking about buying real estate.  There’s a common refrain that Millennials are the digital native generation, but it’s actually Generation Z — defined roughly as those born after 1996 —  that has been brought up in a world of mobile devices and persistent internet connectivity.  And their shopping habits are a big indicator of this. “When I go to buy anything I go online first, not to buy it, but to research it,” 22-year-old Michael Gosden, who plans to buy a home in the future, said. “If I can get to know the prod...

Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments Sign me up Success! Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines. For fresh marketing ideas, look beyond the real estate industry curated from Inman

Instead of fearing a changing landscape, experts say agents and brokers can find success during a shift by following these three steps. How to keep business humming — even during a market shift curated from Inman

Hawthorne, Calif. is home to Elon Musk's SpaceX, the Beach Boys and one of the highest rates of renter-occupied households in California. Getty There’s no state like California when it comes to real estate. Cities like San Francisco and San Jose boast median home prices in excess of $1 million — and that’s the median price, not the average price (which would can be pulled up by a few very expensive homes). Indeed, the number of homes you could buy elsewhere for the price of a California home is staggering . With its great climate and major centers of industry — tech in the San Francisco Bay Area, entertainment in Los Angeles — California is always going to be a hugely in-demand market for housing. But with such high home prices, many people, if not most, have to resort to renting. This is a prime reason why California is such an excellent state for buying and owning rental property. Here’s a look at the best places in California to  own rental property and turn a solid...