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☆ I spent $165,000 on a 215-year-old home I found via Instagram. It's falling apart, but I have big plans.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Kayli Angeleaux bought a home via Cheap Old Houses, an Instagram account with 2 million followers. She found it via Cheap Old Houses, an Instagram account and newsletter started by Elizabeth and Ethan Finkelstein that spotlights homes for sale across the country and abroad that are, mostly, less than $150,000. Cheap Old HousesAngeleaux and her husband Connor, 29, are chronicling the intense restoration process on YouTube. I was on the Cheap Old Houses Instagram, and I spent way too much time on there. And then on May 11, 2022, I got the Cheap Old Houses email.

☆ How a millennial transformed his childhood home into a maximalist Georgian mansion that he rents out for nearly $200 an hour for photo and video shoots
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Emmanuel Hébert grew up in a small Montréal house that he has transformed into a Georgian mansion. He also rents it out for $184 an hour and uses the funds to further renovate the mansion. The living room of Manoir Blackswan in its full glory, dripping in antique chandeliers Hébert sells through his antiques business. Emmanuel HébertThe mansion is Hébert's home, where he's raising his 5-year-old son, Romeo, as well as a showroom for his antiques business. On Instagram, nearly 10,000 people follow Manoir Blackswan — what he calls the mansion — and 13,700 people follow his antiques business.

☆ A Seattle Home Renovation That Restored Lost Charm
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Barbara Sgroi | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

LONG BEFORE Akash Niranjan and his wife, Marissa, bought their 1936 house, it had been remodeled to within an inch of its original character. Theirs was one of the many Tudor Revival homes built in downtown Seattle in the 1930s, but unlike many of those, it was “missing the sense of charm that traditional Tudor style homes have,” said Mr. Niranjan. Period details such as leaded glass windows, wood paneling, exposed ceiling beams, crown moldings and fireplaces had disappeared from the 2,500 square-foot house. TIP 1: Give a Light-Challenged Room a Rosy ComplexionThe east side of the home, which houses the kitchen, faces a large, light-blocking condo. To compensate, Ms. Staton had the cabinets painted an unexpected pink with a sunny disposition (Benjamin Moore’s Salmon Mousse).

☆ Jay Leno details how his ‘face caught on fire’ in first interview since accident
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Jay Leno has opened up for the first time about the accident that left him with severe burns to his face and body. In an interview with Hoda Kotb from “Today,” his first since the November 12 incident, the comedian, 72, said he was working underneath an antique 1907 car alongside his friend Dave Killackey when a series of events led to his injuries. It sounded clogged and I said, ‘Blow some air through the line,’ and so he did,” Leno, an avid car collector, recalled to Kotb. According to NBC, Leno joked to reporters outside the venue, “We got two shows tonight. Regular and extra crispy.”This week’s interview will appear on NBC News’ “Today” show on Wednesday.

☆ A top art dealer sold a super-rich sheikh $5 million of 'antique' sculptures that had been polished with modern tools and contained plastic, court heard
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A respected British art dealer sold seven "antique" artifacts to a Qatari sheikh in 2014 and 2015. The art dealer, John Eskenazi, has been ordered to repay the Qatari buyer $4.99 million and damages. But a High Court ruling last month found that the artifacts sold by John Eskenazi Limited (JEL) to the super-rich Qatari sheikh between 2014 and 2015 were forgeries. The judge ordered Eskenazi to refund what the sheikh had paid for the fake artworks, plus damages, on November 29. A spokesperson for Eskenazi told the newspaper: "John Eskenazi and his family have suffered years of anguish and anxiety as a result of this litigation.

☆ Swiss Christmas decorations store booms as shoppers flock back
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BASEL, Switzerland, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Christmas can never come too soon for Johann Wanner, the world's biggest purveyor of hand-made festive decorations whose shop in the Swiss city of Basel attracts shoppers from around the world. After these years of closing down (for the pandemic) people are ready to come out and invest in Christmas ornaments," the 83-year-old said. And I need my customers and they do come and help me, 54 years running," Wanner said this week. Christmas fans find unusual designs, traditional jewellery from European glassblowers, and Swiss souvenirs. Sandra Takai, a tourist from Philadelphia shopping at the store, said she was going to spend a little more on Christmas this year.

☆ Avoid the dust-collectors! Expert tips for finding hidden treasures at yard and estate sales
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Jen Glantz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

It's possible to discover valuable items at local yard sales, but having a strategy and tools is important. When browsing handbags, if an item has a high price tag, Hirsch advised searching for stains, repairs, and fabric damage. Look closely at vintage Christmas ornamentsHirsch said vintage Christmas ornaments are commonly found at local sales and are potentially valuable collector items. Figure out an approach and stick to a budgetIf you're completely new to hunting for treasures, Zurzolo advised having a set strategy. Zurzolo recommended selling finds on platforms like eBay, Craigslist, or even Etsy.

☆ She Wanted to Buy the Boston Penthouse—Mummy Head and All
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Robyn A. Friedman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

It turns out it was a hidden door that led to a closet, and inside was a brownish sarcophagus mummy head on a display table. I don’t know if it was a real mummy or not, but it sure looked real. I then showed the apartment to a buyer, and she hit the door and the mummy head appeared. I told my seller she really loved the apartment and wanted to put an offer in, but that she wanted the head. The condo was listed at $2.5 million, and we ended up selling it very close to ask, with the head.

☆ Inside a $2.5 million Michigan castle that harkens back to medieval Europe with its secret passageways, wooden drawbridge, and wine cellar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The LeBlanc Castle is a custom 10,000-square-foot property about 30 minutes north of Detroit. The castle, set on more than 6 acres, has been on the market for three months asking $2.5 million. To this day, he has not spent a single night at the five-bedroom, seven-bathroom mansion a 30-minute drive north of Detroit known to locals as The LeBlanc Castle. It harkens back to the 15th-century Scottish medieval era with its secret passageways, wooden drawbridge, and other classical features like a moat. Since taking possession of the castle, Gatecliff said he has updated several pieces of the home's infrastructure.

Jell-O GirlEarly Jell-O advertising depicted women as inept, needing the help of a simple recipe like Jell-O. Jell-O released flavors such as seasoned tomato, celery, mixed vegetable and Italian salad, and Jell-O salads were a colorful way to use leftovers in side dishes. In 1955, the company introduced the slogan “A Jell-O salad makes the meal.”“The Jell-O salad really hits the American sensibility and palate perfectly. Constance Bannister Corp/Getty ImagesBut as more Americans traveled and global cuisines entered the mainstream, the simplicity of Jell-O salads became a downside. “Upscale becomes the new mainstream and Jell-O salads moves into a niche,” Shapiro said.

You probably already know that most travel credit cards offer some form of rental car insurance. It's often said the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best starter travel credit card — and primary rental car insurance is a big reason why. If you're using a business credit card that offers primary car rental insurance, you need to be renting a car for business purposes in order to receive the coverage. Whether your coverage comes from a credit card, the auto rental agency, or your personal insurance plan, you should get rental car insurance. Of all rental car insurance options, primary insurance with a credit card is the best value.

☆ How selling neighborhood 'trash' on Facebook Marketplace for 5 hours a week landed a 27-year-old an extra $37,000 this year
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Sarah Scott, 27, spends five hours per week selling found furniture on Facebook Marketplace. Within 48 hours, she'd sold it all on Facebook Marketplace, a section of Facebook where users can buy and sell goods, often to and from people in their local area. She says she spends just five hours per week on her side gig — three hours for driving and picking up items and two hours for staging, photographing, and listing items online. And some, like Scott, have embraced reseller platforms like Poshmark or Facebook Marketplace to earn extra cash or become full-time resellers. While she occasionally ships items, Scott leaves the vast majority of them on her porch for buyers to pick up and they can pay her through Venmo.

☆ How Hurricane Sandy transformed the Jersey Shore into 'a playground for the rich'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

Jersey Shore residents battled through a patchwork of programs to rebuild after Hurricane Sandy. Even 10 years after Hurricane Sandy, Barbara is still reminded daily of the mental and financial toll it took on her. Courtesy of BarbaraThe bureaucratic red tape around flood insurance and rebuild programs linked to Hurricane Sandy deepened the divide between the haves and have-nots of the Jersey Shore. Milliman, an actuarial company that works with FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program, found that about 47% of coastal dwellers had flood insurance, The Inquirer reported. "After Sandy, there was a lot more money coming in," Mery, who has built Jersey Shore homes for 15 years, told Insider.

For Love & Money is a biweekly column from Insider answering your relationship and money questions. This week, a reader wonders if it's worth buying "frivolous" flowers for a spouse who loves them. Write to For Love & Money using this Google form. Is there something innately wrong with spending money on things that aren't necessary for our survival? Rooting for you both,For Love & Money

☆ 'Stranger Things:' Vecna's house listed for $1.5 million
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Zoe Sottile | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —“Stranger Things” superfans can now live in the very same house where season 4 villain Vecna first developed his supernatural powers – if they dare. Vecna, the antagonist of season 4 of Netflix’s hit series “Stranger Things,” started off as a regular boy named Henry Creel. The real-life house that acted as the Creel home in the show is a 140-year-old mansion located in Rome, Georgia. The home is officially for sale for $1.5 million through brokerage Toles, Temple, and Wright, according to the listing. There’s also a guest house behind the main house.

☆ The Creel House from 'Stranger Things' sold for $350,000 in 2019. Now it's on the market for $1.5 million—take a look inside
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The home at 906 E 2nd Avenue in Rome, Georgia, also known as the Creel House from "Stranger Things" season four is back on the market. The pictures don't show the true scale of the house," Schreier said. Fatland told CNBC Make It that, that given his expertise, he was excited to take a hands-on approach to the renovation. At this point, the two still had no idea that it was a scout from Netflix for "Stranger Things." The dining room of the house was a major focal point in season four of "Stranger Things."

☆ Here's how the Fed's rate hike can move markets and whether to expect a central bank pivot
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

That bank thinks the Fed is going to skirt any talk of a pivot, and opt for continued rate hikes albeit at a slower pace. Goldman Sachs listed three reasons the Fed will carry on with rate hikes:US inflation will remain "sticky" so a pivot won't be justified. Keeping rate hikes going until March 2023 will set up the central bank for a future pivot. US stock futures rise early Wednesday, as eyes turn toward the Fed's rate hike decision later today. Here's what you want to know about the 1920 rule that's still moving markets more than a century later.

☆ Rivian owners can’t help but gush about their trucks, flaws and all
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Matt Mcfarland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“The Rivian is probably my favorite vehicle.”A Rivian R1T leaves the assembly line at its manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois. Rivian owners have generally praised the R1T's features, including the gear tunnel for extra storage. Barnhart was one of several Rivian owners who said they were pleased with how accurately Rivian estimates its vehicles range. Feehley and other Rivian owners say it’s common to get questions from curious onlookers in parking lots, or to have people in cars driving alongside them taking pictures. Rivian owners describe being unwilling to ever sell their trucks.

☆ The host of a hobbit-themed Airbnb made $70,000 in profit last year. She's not a 'LOTR' fan, but she's booked 2 years out.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Layne Van Vranken | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Christina Le Comte rents out a house inspired by "The Lord of the Rings" in her backyard in Canada. Christina Le Comte. In 2020 — her first year in business — Le Comte made more than $30,000 in profit. Le Comte estimates she spent a little over $11,000 doing improvements to the property, not including the cost of decorating. "It can be challenging because you're dealing with a living building and things come up every day," Le Comte said.

☆ A pair of Levi's from the 1880s just sold for $76,000. They were found in an old mine and could be worn 'to get a Starbucks,' a vintage expert says.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A pair of Levi's jeans from the 1880s sold for $76,000 at an October 1 auction in New Mexico. The vintage jeans were found in an old mine years ago and are still marked by candle wax. Kyle Haupert, a 23-year-old vintage clothing dealer from San Diego, bought the pants at an auction on October 1. Haupert documented the auction and the pair of prized denims on the Instagram account of his shop, Golden State Vintage. A post shared by Golden State Vintage (@goldenstatevtg)"These speak for themselves," Haupert wrote on the Instagram post featuring the jeans.

“It’s fascinating how people seek queerness — and where they seek queerness,” Fuller added. Murnau’s “Faust” and “Nosferatu,” such moments of levity keep viewers engaged while they’re soaking up early Hollywood’s rich queer history. “Whether you’re ideologically queer or sexually queer, you might relate to the monster’s narrative, because you, too, have felt ‘outsidered’ or villainized in some way.” Bryan fuller, 'queer for fear' executive producer“The Dracula costume kit is basically drag. So this, to me, is the experience of being a gay man.”As Alaska’s assessment demonstrates, “Queer for Fear” isn’t interested in just exploring how horror has provided a haven for queer creatives. Because of the Hays Code, LGBTQ creators and those, like Hitchcock, who wanted to include those themes had to do so through subtext, which counterintuitively gave birth to some of the most essential queer horror ever made.

It will need to resolve differences with a similar Senate bill before it can head to Biden to sign. In addition, 139 House Republicans and eight Senate Republicans voted to challenge the results in some key states. Lawmakers in both parties acknowledge the vague law needs to be updated, but the House version faced strong opposition from House Republicans who argued this bill goes too far. For instance, the Senate bill would require one-fifth of the House and Senate to object to states' electors, instead of one lawmaker in both chambers. The House bill, on the other hand, requires one-third of each chamber to issue an objection.

On a vote of 219-209, with most Republicans in opposition, the House approved the rules for debating the measure, clearing the way for a vote on passage. In addition, 139 House Republicans and eight Senate Republicans voted to challenge the results in some key states. Lawmakers in both parties acknowledge the vague law needs to be updated, but the House version faced strong opposition from House Republicans who argued this bill goes too far. For instance, the Senate bill would require one-fifth of the House and Senate to object to states' electors, instead of one lawmaker in both chambers. The House bill, on the other hand, requires one-third of each chamber to issue an objection.

☆ Furniture, decor prices rose 10.6% over the past year. How to decorate on a budget, according to interior designers
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-18 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Household furnishings and supplies were up 10.6% this summer compared with last, according to the consumer price index. Yet there are ways to creatively use your budget, said Athena Calderone, author of the design book "Live Beautiful." "While it can feel really stressful to decorate on a small budget, the good news is that constraints are far from confining," Calderone told me. If the goal is longevity, Owens also recommends buying your core furniture pieces in durable materials and neutral colors. You can also search for original art in your price range on websites such as Art Finder.

You probably already know that most travel credit cards offer some form of rental car insurance. Show more Regular APR 19.24% - 26.24% Variable Editor's Rating 4.65 /5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 4.65 out of 5 Stars Our editor's ratings analyze fees, bonuses, rewards, and benefits to highlight the simplest and most valuable credit cards available. It's often said the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best starter travel credit card — and primary rental car insurance is a big reason why. Whether your coverage comes from a credit card, the auto rental agency, or your personal insurance plan, you should get rental car insurance. Of all rental car insurance options, primary insurance with a credit card is the best value.

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