Maureen Mengel Blog

Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club Bill Springer The Bakers Bay Golf & Ocean Club , located along a stretch of private perfection on the Bahamian island of Great Guana Cay in the Abacos, is way more than just another private beach community. Sure, it boasts the requisites: fitness center, tennis and basketball courts, luxurious spa, amazing restaurants, and killer beach club stocked with every toy available. The community also has a deep-water marina where members can choose from a host of large, fast, and comfortable boats and, of course, the beaches and sunsets are amazing. The good life in the Bahamas can be found at Baker's Bay. Bill Springer But Baker’s Bay is also an exclusive members-only residential community where Tom Brady, Michael Jordan and other incredibly successful and interesting people go when they want to escape to the Bahamas. And that’s no accident. The view from inside one of the homes overlooking the golf course. Bill Springer ...

The first weekend of Coachella 2019 — or what many are referring to as Arichella — is only days away. If you don't have accommodations yet, don't panic. According to the last-minute booking app HotelTonight , there are still plenty of options for anyone who didn't plan their stay in-advance. Instead of scrambling for an overpriced vacation rental that needs a group of people to make the costs go down, think about yourself and make a hotel reservation for the duration of the festival. Scroll through below and see what's still available. Don't waste another minute deciding on where to stay and book ASAP before these properties run out of rooms. 1. T he Palm Springs Hotel   A snapshot of the poolside view at The Palm Springs Hotel in Palm Springs, California. Courtesy of The Palm Springs Hotel 2. Caliente Tropics Resort Hotel The sunny Caliente Tropics Resort Hotel that still has available rooms for Coachella 2019. Courtesy of Caliente Tropics Resort...

Originally built in 1917, Cow Hollow Residence features a First Bay Region Tradition style. Open Homes Photography At nearly $3 million, this isn’t your typical treehouse—no crooked ladders, haphazard flooring or windowless walls here. But it was virtually built from scratch in San Francisco. Make that rebuilt . And it’s just as charming, cozy and harmonious with nature as a beloved childrens’ treehouse. The remodeled home's new exterior features warm wood shingle siding. Open Homes Photography As a detached wooden condominium townhouse nestled in the Cow Hollow section of Pacific Heights, this historic, remodeled “treehouse” sits along tree-lined Green Street on a private, landscaped double lot. Even it’s location is quaint. Cow Hollow Residence's exterior was restored by architect Mark English. He also renovated the contemporary interiors. Open Homes Photography Constructed in 1917, Cow Hollow Residence was designed by architect Elizabeth Austin for...

Boston's high prices keep home ownership out of reach for Millennials Getty Student loan debt, currently estimated at 1.56 trillion  is still impacting Millennial homebuyers according to a recent report from Bankrate.com . According to the report “31 percent of Americans say they currently have or have had student loan debt stemming from their own education.” It goes on to reveal, "an additional 13 percent of American adults financed another family member’s school expenses through student loans.” People responding to Banknote’s survey, 31% report they have delayed homeownership. No matter how many possible solutions are tossed around Washington and beyond on reducing the crushing burden of student loan debt, it remains one of the top reasons Millennials (23-38) are putting off buying a home. Compare the numbers to their baby boomer parents with only 15% of them who delayed buying a home because of student loan debt. Consider that 39% of the respondents earn an annu...

99 Hudson is billed as the third tallest residential tower in the USA. Courtesy of 99 Hudson There’s a lot of hype about Hudson Yards, the recently opened complex that spawned a new Manhattan neighborhood. Rightfully so. It’s a game changer. 99 Hudson's limestone façade is inspired by Rockefeller Center. Courtesy of 99 Hudson But the Hudson has two sides—New York and New Jersey. So far, there’s little fanfare about that other luxury tower, 99 Hudson—a 79-story condominium in Jersey City, directly across from the World Trade Center. It’s yet another prodigious example that Hudson River real estate is booming. Monumental limestone lobby with lavish chandelier Courtesy of 99 Hudson Soaring 900 feet, the in-progress skyscraper is billed as the tallest building in New Jersey and the “third tallest condominium” in the United States—in the class of Manhattan’s architectural icons. Such claims are virtually always disputed, but there’s no doubt it stands out on t...

I can't stress this enough. It is, in fact,  the single most important piece of advice I give to startups. Don't be a problem looking for a solution, be a great solution to a real, important problem! A lot of work and research and humility goes into following this advice correctly. Startups need to be willing to test their idea and their product in cold blood, knowing that they will have to drop or rework it if their assumptions were incorrect. They will need to listen to all feedback, not just that which they like. They will also need to be level-headed enough to know the difference between not letting naysayers get them down, and understanding that they are walking the wrong path. In PropTech, they will also have to gain a deep knowledge of real estate, and oftentimes this will require deferring to the experts. In this instalment of the  #StartupLife series, we will look at 10 startups that are very confident they have pinpointed an excellent problem to solve. Do yo...

Sometimes a house needs major renovations in order to become your dream home. When that happens, the Fannie Mae HomeStyle loan can be a viable option for getting the funding that you need to make those renovations happen. However, before you commit to a loan, you should research as much as you can about the loan program. In light of that, I've brought you a guide to the Fannie Mae HomeStyle loan. Read it over to get a sense of whether or not this loan program is right for you. What is the Fannie Mae HomeStyle loan? The Fannie Mae HomeStyle loan is a conventional loan that is aimed at making renovations to an existing property easier for buyers. Rather than having to take out one loan to purchase your new home and then another loam 1oan to cover the cost of renovations, the HomeStyle loan allows you to roll both costs into one. By combining these costs, you'll be able to save on interest payments and closing costs. How the loan works The HomeStyle loan is unique in that, ...

Denver, Colorado topped the list for high-earning renters. Getty The high-earning renter segment is growing rapidly according to a recent report from Apartmentlist.com .  The higher-earning renter household ($100,000 annual earnings) is the “fastest growing segment of the U.S. housing market,” according to the report. Between 2008-2017, there were close to 2 million high-earning households to join the ranks of renters. That’s a national increase of 48%. Apartment list's Chief Economist Igor Popov weighs in on the subject. “We went into this suspecting high growth in that sector which was the case. Once we saw how much higher the numbers actually were, I was surprised,” Popov said. “Looking at the cities with tremendous growth and seeing just how large that growth has been was another surprise,” Popov adds. The metro areas and percentage growth numbers Popov is talking about include Denver (146%)), Austin (142%), and Oklahoma City at 121%. Even high-priced markets like ...

Woman have been selling houses for some time, but are just beginning to occupy seats at the top levels of the profession.  Getty Just think: when the National Association of Realtors (NAR) was founded in 1908, its membership was entirely male. The first woman joined NAR in 1910, but women struggled for the next half century to serve on real estate boards. Today, the majority of realtors—63 percent—are women, according to the NAR 2017 Member Profile . “For women, real estate is often a second career,” says Cindy Scholz , a broker with Compass Real Estate in Manhattan. “Most entered real estate because it afforded them flexibility, the ability to manage their own careers and, not least, the ability to double their income in the first year.” Women may dominate the industry numerically, but they are still in the minority in the lucrative world of commercial real estate and at the CEO level of real estate and land use organizations. As recently as 2017, only 12 p...

Alcheme Health & Medical Spa in San Diego, CA. Joshua Torres Social media has changed the game for businesses, especially medical and dental offices as well as salons and spas. Not only do these places need to be somewhere for customers and patients to snap a selfie, but the design and aesthetics must also create a feeling. Every decision from the art on the walls, to the fabric of the chairs and the style of lighting fixtures, must be carefully thought out to elicit emotions and elevate the experience. Here are some of the most interestingly and specifically designed spaces that garner likes both on social media as well as in real life. ALCHEMĒ Health And Wellness ALCHEMĒ Health and Wellness. Joshua Torres   ALCHEMĒ Health and Wellness in San Diego, California isn’t a typical “day spa,” but rather they see themselves as a “hub and gathering space for like-minded individuals looking to optimize their health and well-being,” says the brand’s market...

No detail overlooked at StayTony in Beverly Hills. StayTony The golden age of Airbnb may soon be over. While this may disappoint travelers looking for a deal and quasi-entrepreneurs who think they've found the golden ticket to a quick dollar, this platform has made landlords, communities and lawmakers quite incensed. Local laws have passed in various municipalities pulling the plug and making it difficult for Airbnb to operate as the free-for-all it once did. In March 2019, the startup  lost a major battle in the city of Santa Monica, California by failing to strike down a law that makes short-term rental platforms liable for illegal housing. But, that’s not the only issue. In the same month,  reports surfaced about hidden cameras and other security issues discovered in Airbrb properties. All of these things not only make the platform less attractive to the userbase, but also create a barrier for people who are unqualified to operate their homes and other propert...

It may seem a tad incongruous to come upon a butcher shop on Madison Avenue —sawdust sprinkled on the terracotta floor and blue striped shirts under white aprons, especially on a section anchored by Hästens on one side and Tumi on the other. But Lobel's is no new kid on the block: the six-generation enterprise celebrates 65 years on the Upper East Side. In the cooling room Sylvie Bigar The family’s calling, though, emerged more than a century earlier. “In the 1840s, my great, great grandfather Nathan ran a farm, slaughterhouse and retail corner in Chernowitz, now a city in Ukraine,” said Evan Lobel, one of four family members who own the current business. By 1912, Morris Lobel, Nathan’s grandson, sailed to the New World and settled first in Boston, then in the Bronx, and finally on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. In 1954, sensing that the Upper East Side was poised to become a more exclusive area, Morris and his sons moved to the current location. Leon Lobel, Evan...

By Claire Zulkey, Next Avenue Contributor  Young families and first-time home buyers opt to move to the suburbs for similar reasons: peace, quiet and more space. However, choosing a suburb when you’re downsizing or empty nesting is wholly different, with its own set of priorities. In your 50s or 60s, accessibility to a premier school district becomes less important, for instance, while an inventory of single-story homes becomes more essential. Downsizers in general often choose their homes based on criteria like low-maintenance buildings, security, proximity to family and access to public transit and shopping. But when downsizing to the suburbs, there are certain questions to keep in mind: What Can You Enjoy Now That You Don't Have Little Kids? Alison Bernstein, founder of Suburban Jungle, a relocation company that helps buyers find the right suburb, says that while some downsizers like to stay close to what they know — family, places of worship — others purposefully d...

To build trust with your audience (and stand out from the sea of other agents posting on social media), you need to give them some content that they don’t see every day. Here are seven things you can do to provide value for your audience. Article image credited to Alex Martinez, Max Kleinen 7 trust-building social media hacks curated from Inman

Listed for $5.2 million, Nantucket Lightship was converted into a luxury yacht residence with a bright red hull and custom wood interiors. Courtesy of William and Kristen Golden Who wouldn’t want to live on Nantucket? It’s uniquely blessed with galvanizing ocean waves, phenomenal whale watching and mesmerizing sunsets. Nantucket Lightship has served the USA well by protecting coastal and trans-Atlantic shipping lanes since 1950. Courtesy of William and Kristen Golden Not Nantucket Island (that’s nice too). I’m talking about the luxurious 128-foot houseboat christened “ Nantucket Lightship (WLV-612) ,” upon which these views are most breathtaking. Moby Dick’s Ahab and Starbuck (Nantucket Island natives) would have fancied this lap of luxury. Nantucket Lightship is docked at Boston's Commercial Wharf. Courtesy of William and Kristen Golden Nantucket Lightship is a decommissioned U.S. Coast Guard vessel expertly transformed into a luxury yacht residence. No...