May, 2020
now browsing by month
‘House Party’ Podcast: Can Your Swimming Pool Kill Coronavirus? Plus, How We Really Feel About Netflix’s ‘Selling Sunset’
“House Party” is realtor.com®’s official podcast about the overlapping worlds of real estate and pop culture, hosted by Natalie Way, Erik Gunther, and Rachel Stults. Click the player above to hear our takes on this week’s hot topics.
Considering we practically eat, sleep, and breathe real estate, we thought it was high time we watched “Selling Sunset,” a Netflix reality show that’s billed as a mix between “Million Dollar Listing” and “The Real Housewives” franchises. After sitting through all 32 minutes of the pilot episode, it’s clear that the soapy reality series leans more toward the latter. Real estate and home design take a back seat to catfights and drama. Were we into it, or did the lack of authenticity make watching it a painful experience? We give our
CBRE Touts COVID-19 Response in Corporate Responsibility Report
Los Angeles-based CBRE Group made public several initiatives to help its employees and give back to the communities it operates in, according to the company’s recently-published Corporate Responsibility Report.
“Our people have stepped up to help clients navigate COVID-19′s challenges and also answered the call within their communities. In addition, we organized the largest fundraising campaign in CBRE’s history, recognizing that our corporate response, like the challenge facing the world, needed to be unprecedented,” Bob Sulentic, CBRE’s president and chief executive officer, said in prepared remarks.
The efforts detailed in the report started with making it mandatory for employees to work from home. According to the report, employees at the company’s Wuhan, China office were required to work from home beginning Feb. 3. On Feb. 24, CBRE employees in Milan, Italy had to work from home and the company closed the rest of its EMEA offices by March 16. US
Starwood Capital Recapitalizes TPG RE Finance With $325M Investment
NEW YORK—Starwood Capital Group has made a $325 million strategic investment in mortgage lender TPG RE Finance. Its non-voting investment, made in the form of preferred stock and detachable warrants to purchase the company’s common stock, comes as the mortgage REIT struggles to regain its footing after issuing a going concern warning that it may not have enough liquidity to meet its obligations and keep operations afloat. The REIT was hammered in March and April when the markets plunged and forced TPG Finance to sell assets in order to meet margin calls.
A handful of bidders had reportedly been circling TPG RE Finance with offers, according to a report in Bloomberg, including Oxford Properties Group and Almanac Realty Investors.
Starwood Capital’s investment will provide TPG RE with liquidity and access to additional capital at its option. Proceeds from the initial closing will be used to make voluntary
Listing Photos of Elaborate Fake Town in Basement of Potomac Mansion Are a Must-See
It’s been on the market for nearly a year, but this mansion in Potomac, MD, took over Twitter this week. The fake town in the home’s basement is bonkers!
It’s been on the market for nearly a year, but this mansion in Potomac, MD, took over Twitter this week.
Over the past few days, the listing has scorched social media.
A viral tweet about a fancy house with a basement decked out to look like a fake town sparked the curiosity of real estate gawkers. Its wild listing photos have brought some much-needed levity to a captive audience of stay-at-home scrollers intrigued by the $4.5 million mansion.
Built in 1987, the home was remodeled to include a unique amenity.
Down in the basement, you’ll
Can Your Pool Kill the Coronavirus? And Everything Else You Should Know About Swimming During a Pandemic
Before you head for a swim in your backyard or community pool, read on for expert advice on how to keep yourself and other swimmers safe.
By now, you may have heard that the novel coronavirus can live up to three days on some surfaces. But what about in your swimming pool? Is there any way you could get the virus from your afternoon dip?
The short answer: You probably won’t get the virus from pool water. But a pool is still a risky environment as far as social distancing and person-to-person transmission are concerned.
So before you head for a swim in your backyard or community pool, read on for expert advice on how to keep yourself and other swimmers