Top of the Tweets: Luxury property values surged in 2010
This week’s Top of the TweetsBy Camilla McLaughlin
The heat’s on for remodelers, and that’s a good thing. Remodeling now accounts for 70 percent of residential construction, but to adapt to changes in consumer expectations, remodelers will have to step up their skills, said Mark Richardson of Case Design Remodeling in Bethesda, Md., in a recent webinar. @MetrostudyCorp provided the link. http://ow.ly/4txQ8
“Luxury property values surged in 2010” tweets @luxury_homes, linking to an article (http://bit.ly/gVX6QM) on the site financial-planning.com, on Knight Frank’s current Wealth Report www.knightfrank.com/wealthreport. Few others have as thorough a perspective on global luxury as Knight Frank. Recently, I’ve been working on the next issue of Ultimate Homes magazine which profiles real estate at the highest price points. While the direction of prices in the U.S. remains uncertain, I can say brokers who work with ultra-luxury properties, from Florida to California, say buyers are back in their markets, especially for ultra-expensive homes. As the writer of the article in the link points out, education is important to some buyers. However, the interest has nothing to do with property taxes or other concerns. In my research for “40 International Markets to Watch” I too found the presence of excellent schools was important, especially for Asian buyers, because a number plan to have their children schooled near wherever they purchase, and the interest was often directed toward private rather than public education.
“In a changing market, look for real time information. Pending home sales are a better indicator at this time of year than Case Shiller,” observes Realogy CEO and President Richard Smith in a recent interview. Catch his commentary on housing via @CBVGR. http://fb.me/tZwxikRU
Interest rates determine the real cost of housing and affordability, tweets @HousingReports, Century 21 First Realty in Tallahassee. http://bit.ly/dUXhgn
Green Scene: “The price of solar energy has dropped 35 percent in the past 12 years,” tweets @ecomagination via @txchnologist. Find out why: http://ow.ly/4wjBM
Coffee addict? Don’t blame the local barista. “It’s in your genes,” says @Time. http://ti.me/eJaTIP
Social media know-how: It takes more than just being a “happy yapper” to realize a return on social media efforts. Pam Moore weighs in on the topic in a post, “A Little Less Talk and A Lot More Action Please,” on http://ti.me/eJaTIP. Once again @imadnaffa makes the connection. http://is.gd/SUddOx
Luxury brands continue to expand their market reach. The latest collaboration? Yacht manufacturers and luxury brands from autos to champagne. The seven you should know include Wally and Hermès; Riva and Gucci; Fearless and Porsche; Veuve Clicquot and Riva; LVMH and Princess Yachts; Intermarine and BMW; and Weyves and Thierry Mugler, Elie Saab. @LuxurySociety tweets the link. http://bit.ly/eAZuWC
Pictured: The GE112, Weyves Couture by Thierry Mugler
