DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ See how a millennial transformed a dull 1960s bungalow into a lavish Georgian mansion dripping in one-of-a-kind antiques that hosts boudoir photo shoots for $200 an hour
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Emmanuel Hébert grew up in a tiny Montreal bungalow that he has transformed into a Georgian mansion. See the renovation step-by-step, and why people rent the finished home for titillating photo shoots. Hébert is an online antiques dealer who decided to forgo a traditional storefront and transform his home into a staging ground for his business. He said he's had a handful of rap music videos filmed there, as well as many boudoir-style photo shoots. See how the home went from its drab beginnings to being a showpiece mansion with a one-of-a-kind style.

☆ We sold our belongings and bought a $2.5 million cabin on a luxury residential cruise ship that will sail the world. Here's what we're excited about and how we're preparing to live at sea.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

We got the whole ship, and we're going to be going ashore as much as we like. They sold their house and went all-in on living at seaAngela: We opted for the leasehold period of 24 years. That's really what we're gonna live off of. So everyone that's living on this ship, you're not going to be having the carnival nights and the crazy college party ambiance. Well, the Narrative is not going to spend just one day at port, they're going to spend three days, four days, five days depending on where you're going.

☆ Millennials are living with their parents at higher rates than past generations, and they're not ashamed
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Since 2020 adults aged 25 to 34 are living at home at higher rates than past generations, said the Census Bureau. According to the US Census Bureau, about 18% of men and 12% of women ages 25 to 34 were living with their parents in 2022. Barwig estimates she's saving about $30,000 a year. "I don't really spend a lot of money," she said. She's been able to maintain the job as a mostly remote employee at the Jersey Shore, where her parents live.

☆ 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.

☆ An architect shares interior-design upgrades for 4 rooms in your home for an extra-cozy winter
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

NYC architect and designer Michael Gabellini recommended four upgrades to make a home extra cozy. His clients may demand luxury, but that doesn't mean that some upgrades can't be affordable. Install heated walls in the bathroomGabellini Sheppard designed the interiors for 611 West 56th Street in New York, with bathrooms that include heated floors. He's seeing a growing demand for heated walls, which are already popular in Germany. Gabellini SheppardYou've heard of heated floors — and now, heated walls — but what about heated countertops?

☆ Meet the guy whose algorithm could solve the crisis of America's empty office space
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Converting offices into apartments brings people back to downtown areas as residents, not commuters. The algorithm is able to quickly assess which office buildings are viable for conversion to apartments, which are known in industry parlance as multifamily residential. "And then, actually, the demand for the remaining office buildings goes up, because you're creating scarcity by taking some out of the market." Most urban centers lack sufficient housing, but turning office buildings into apartments helps add additional units to rent or buy. About 28% of the area's office space is vacant.

☆ 5 things wildly successful real-estate brokers do to get the most out of their days
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Fellow New York-based Douglas Elliman agent Lisa Simonsen also had a former career in fitness. As such, the agent who sold more than $100 million in 2022 makes sure she works out in her building's gym, usually on a spin bike, every morning. McKenzie RyanFormer Junior Olympian and real-estate wunderkind McKenzie Ryan used to compete on the national level in rhythmic gymnastics. Serhant gets a new SUV every year "just to update it," though he said he makes sure his car and clothes are never nicer than his clients'. The Douglas Elliman agent knows what she has to do to succeed: She was the top-selling agent in Miami in 2021 with $750 million in transactions.

☆ 9 fascinating details hidden inside Barbie Dreamhouses throughout history
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Barbie Dreamhouse debuted in 1962, three years after its plastic resident hit toy store shelves. Nine details in the homes show us what Barbie — and we — value, from ambition to accessibility. Barbie hit toy store shelves in 1959, with the first Dreamhouse following three years later for $8. The new book "Barbie Dreamhouse: An Architectural Survey" takes a look at Barbie's history through the architecture and interiors of her consistently updated bachelorette pad. When the Barbie Dreamhouse debuted, it was a vision of a bachelorette pad for a woman unmoored from the expectations of her day.

☆ A day in the life of Lisa Simonsen, an NYC luxury real-estate agent who takes calls at 3 a.m., counts Kelly Ripa as a client, and closed over $100 million in deals in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Lisa Simonsen is a New York high-society fixture and a real-estate broker with Douglas Elliman. She has closed over $2 billion in deals since 2005, with over $100 million in sales in 2022. Her day starts at 5 a.m. with cycling and green juice and ends at 10 p.m. with client phone calls. These days she is among the top-selling brokers at brokerage Douglas Elliman, where she heads up the ten-member Simonsen Team. "I'm very passionate about my work," Simonsen said.

Insider's rising stars of real estate span roles in leasing, affordable housing, and urban planning. We asked the young achievers about the books that influenced their careers or personal growth. For some of Insider's rising stars of 2022, the subject matter might surprise you. Other rising stars told Insider they wanted to learn from the trials and tribulations of successful people, like the Nike cofounder Phil Knight. Below, find the selection of 29 books that influenced the rising stars, along with their musings of what they learned or how they applied the lessons to their practices.

☆ 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.

House bows are becoming a popular way for real-estate agents to add pizzazz to newly sold homes. House bows are often purchased by local realtors to celebrate closings or drum up interest in a property, and by particularly spendy gifters looking to surprise their family members or spouses with a new abode. King Size BowsSteven Rosenfield, the owner of Giant Bows in Old Lyme, Connecticut, has observed a similar bump in business. Hughes charges around $600 plus shipping for an average 6-foot, two-loop house bow. A King Size Bow used for decoration.

☆ Luxury homebuyers want plunge pools, infrared saunas, and 'spiritual concierges,' according to two star brokers who've sold $4 billion of real estate so far this year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Real-estate agents Fredrik Eklund and John Gomes said luxury homebuyers want wellness perks at home. More than gyms and swimming pools, they're seeking out extras like infrared saunas and plunge pools. On-demand perks like "spiritual concierges" and IV treatments are becoming more popular. Speaking about the year ahead alongside Eklund Gomes Team CEO Julia Spillman, they said wellness perks remain at the top of the list of must-haves for luxury homebuyers of both condos and single-family residences. The Eklund Gomes Team has big plans for the year aheadThe Eklund Gomes Team plans to grow, even as the real-estate market at large is slowing down.

☆ A former Disney Imagineer started out carving iconic theme-park signs from wood. Now he's a craftsman making custom works of art for Disney fans that cost $50,000 and take 350 hours.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A recent commission of a "Beauty and the Beast"-themed mantel face measuring 6 feet by 14 inches took Kinman, by his estimate, around 350 hours from August to November. 2022 — 'Beauty and the Beast' mantel face (private collection)Kinman's 'Beauty and the Beast' mantel face was for a private collection in Oregon. The other side of the mantel face depicts the characters Mrs. Potts and Chip. Here he's carving a door out of mahogany. He's also excited about a carving he's been commissioned to do of Scrooge McDuck sitting in his money room.

☆ Luxury homebuyers are scooping up smaller houses, encouraged by lower mortgages, less maintenance, and fewer family members hanging around
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Wealthy buyers are seeking smaller homes, according to the real-estate brokerage Coldwell Banker. Among them are a desire to have a more efficient and manageable home, and downsizing of family units that grew larger during the coronavirus pandemic, they said. What it all means is that these luxury homebuyers are increasingly competing with regular folks just trying to put a roof over their heads. "That's a lot of people competing with the millennials who delayed homebuying" and their decision to have families, Steinberg said. Though the home is smaller than the one in which they raised their family, they want to downsize again.

☆ What recession? Luxury homes have never been more expensive — see the 30 priciest ZIP codes in America
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Property Shark has released its annual ranking of the most expensive ZIP codes in the US. Property Shark has released its annual list of the country's most expensive ZIP codes based on their median sold home price. The report found that of the 128 ZIP codes included in the top 100 in 2022 — the extra 28 ZIP codes are ties — 86% were even pricier than last year. A whopping 14 ZIP codes on the list now have a median sold home price of $4 million or more. Read on for this year's top 30 ZIP codes, and see how it's changed since 2020 while you're at it.

☆ Grenada's 'golden passport' comes with tax benefits and makes travel easier — but only if you invest $150,000 in the country first
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Grenada's citizenship-by-investment, or CBI, program has accepted 1,500 residents yearly since 2013. Gaining Grenada citizenship takes about three months and is less costly than other CBI programs. To be a Grenadian tax resident, the country requires 183 days of residence on the island a year. Jafri added that with a Grenadian passport, a traveler doesn't need a visa to travel to China. The investment in hotel and resort projects costs less than other kinds of real-estate development to help drive tourism to the country, Hallam explained.

☆ I bought a second home in Spain for $250,000 because I don't want to live in the US anymore. It's half the cost of living in Manhattan.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Michael Steven Grant and his partner bought a second home in Sitges, a town near Barcelona, Spain. Grant worked in nonprofit fundraising before starting in July with VistaFutura, a company that helps Americans purchase and maintain property in Spain. After many years on the west coast I ended up on the east coast again, in Manhattan, eight or nine years ago. A year ago my partner and I were thinking of where we wanted to buy a second place with the hopes of, down the road, retiring to and living full-time. We went back to Spain in March of this year and saw maybe a dozen places, none of which we liked.

☆ An interior designer to New York City's elite shares the 3 fresh trends that are all the rage and 2 that are out of style
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

NYC interior designer Bennett Leifer outlined what's in and what's out right now. He spoke with Insider about what his clients are seeking in their homes now, and the tired trends they're ready to leave behind. John Keeble/Getty ImagesLeifer said his clients aren't using white as a fallback anymore, but rather an intentional decision. "It has to finish a space to a certain degree," Leifer said, but clients aren't falling back on the old rulebook. Instead they're curious to experiment with new touches, like the project where Leifer's using bronze casings around windows.

☆ 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.

☆ Wealthy people are splurging on bucket-list trips, flying to the Arctic Circle for private-chef-catered meals, renting out African safari lodges, and spending $300,000 for a half-hour opera serenade
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Hard-to-access places like the Arctic Circle and Galapagos Islands are bucket-list travel hot spots. These well-off wanderlusters have helped create a travel-industry boom, with pent-up demand pushing bucket-list travel into this year's shoulder seasons. American Express Travel's 2022 Global Travel Trends report, which used polling data collected in early February 2022, confirms the move toward bucket-list travel this year. Quality time with loved ones matters above allBut not all bucket-list travel experiences need to be in far-flung corners of the world. Finnegan said traveling with his family made it a bucket-list trip.

☆ Home sellers desperate to get the highest possible price should consider these 9 quick upgrades that help add value to any property
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Experts told Insider which quick fixes they recommend to help buyers get the highest possible price. That leaves sellers scrambling to get the highest possible price for their property. The median asking price of new listings is up nearly 9% from this time last year to $383,000, while the median sales price is up 7% to $368,000, according to Redfin. It means sellers have to put in a little more effort to clinch the sale at all, not to mention to fetch the highest price. The Manhattan property sold for its full asking price: $775,000.

☆ Five dads who bonded over trail running bought family vacation homes together in Hawaii. Now they jog under palm trees while their 21 children play.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ryan Seare, 47, was the first of his neighborhood friends to invest in a Hawaii vacation home. He convinced four other families to join him at a property in Kauai where shares start at $445,000. For his precedent-setting investment, Seare chose Timbers Kauai, an intimate community of 47 homes tucked away on Kauai's southeast shore near a lighthouse, a marina, and a Costco. Between the Seare, Phillips, and Smith families, there are 13 kids ranging in age from 2 to 17. "Sometimes when you're on vacation, you don't want to see people you know, because that's part of vacationing.

☆ Luxury homes in pandemic real-estate boomtowns like Denver and Austin are lingering on the market as sales of pricier homes drop 28% nationwide
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Pandemic hot spots are among the most affected by the slowdown as homes sit on the market. Prices for luxury homes are still rising in all of the country's 50 biggest metropolitan areas. The cracks in the market are beginning to show in cities like Denver, Austin, and Detroit, which all saw an influx of monied buyers during the pandemic. The same cities that saw inventory linger saw the largest increase in new luxury listings coming onto the market in the third quarter. The median sale price of luxury homes still rose in the 50 most populous metros tracked by Redfin.

☆ $100 million is the new frontier for South Florida luxury homes, says agent Dina Goldentayer, who sold $750 million in real estate last year via chauffeured car, helicopter, and golf cart
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Griffin's $100 million buy is more than double the 2019 record for Miami's priciest single-family home. A Golden Beach compound is on the market for $100 million — and is being marketed as a gut job. "Now $100 million seems to be the threshold that captures the public's imagination. While Miami's ultraluxury market thrives, its less-pricey sectors are beginning to normalize, Miller said. Douglas Elliman's South Florida market reports, which Miller compiles, point to a slowdown in new signed contracts, but that's in comparison with the supercharged market of 2021.

Search resuls for: "Zoe Rosenberg"

25 mentions found