US Home Prices Increase Again
Despite continuing high interest rates, US home prices rose 4.3% between September 2023 and September 2024. Every part of the US, except the District of Columbia and Louisiana, saw rising prices. Prices increased the most on homes and condos in Miami, Florida at 10.8%.
Homeowners Enjoy Windfall Profits
According to NAR’s recently released third-quarter housing report, a typical homeowner has accumulated nearly $150,000 in their home value since 2019.
Luxury Kansas Doomsday Bunker For Sale
A 15-story bomb shelter in Kansas designed to withstand a 20-kiloton nuclear warhead includes the usual features found in a doomsday bunker, such as 16-inch walls, bulletproof doors, diesel generators, a decontamination room, and enough food to last for decades. But it’s the amenities that make such a difference, including an indoor swimming pool and water slide, a fully stocked pub, a workout room, dog park, a shooting range, game room, movie theater, and a climbing wall. The bunker can accommodate up to 75 people in multiple housing units. Prices range from $1.3 million for a half-floor space to $2.4 million for a full-floor apartment.
World’s First Solar-Powered Skyscraper
A Miami company has broken ground on the world’s first solar-powered skyscraper. Ytech in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood will be 70 stories high with a 20,000-square-foot “solar backbone” integrated into its glass facade. The solar backbone is expected to generate 175 MWh of electricity annually and will save the equivalent of 3,000 barrels of oil each year.
Diddy’s Mansion Gets No Offers
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ 17,000-square-foot home in LA’s exclusive Holmby Hills neighborhood has been listed for over two months, but his freak-off mansion is attracting very little interest and no serious offers to date. Sean is looking to get $61.5 million for the home.
Good & Bad US Property Tax States
New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire and Massachusetts have the highest property tax bills in the US, while West Virginia has the lowest at an average of $989 per year. New Jersey’s annual average property tax bill is $9,507.
America’s Top 10 Housing Markets
Despite issues of rising seas and high insurance costs, Florida condos and homes were rated by CNBC as the best state for buying and selling a home. South Carolina and Arizona were ranked #3 and #4. Ratings were based on affordability and value.
Sean Hannity Buys Home In Florida’s Most Exclusive Neighborhood
Forget South Beach and Palm Beach, Florida’s most exclusive neighborhood is Manalapan, where the ultra-rich have the ocean in their backyard and the Intracoastal, where they park their yachts, in the front yard. Sean Hannity recently spent $23.5 million on a 12,378-square-foot home in Manalapan.
Buying a New Home – Here are the Best Towns
The finance company WalletHub compared 300 US cities using 22 key indicators, including the cost of living, property taxes, affordability, and quality of life to determine the best cities for first-time home buyers. According to their study, Palm Bay, Florida is the best place to purchase a home. Florida towns took the top five spots, including Cape Coral, Port St. Lucie, Tampa and Orlando. Surprise, Arizona took the #6 spot.
World’s Most Expensive Cities
The world’s ten most expensive cities are all in Europe or the United States, with Geneva as the most expensive, followed by Zurich. The rest of the top ten are New York, San Francisco, Boston, Washington DC, Seattle, LA, Chicago, and Reykjavik, Iceland. Cost factors include the overall cost of living, rent, groceries and restaurant prices. Karachi, Pakistan is the most affordable of the 218 towns in the study.
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