Robert Magda: March 2017

Friday, March 31, 2017

Beauty and the Beast - Date: April 8, 2017 2:00 PM

Location: Fort Myers - Evangelical Christian School presents a tale as old as time, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, April 6 through 8, at Evangelical Christian School. This fun and family friendly musical, adapted from the original Disney film, brings to life the timeless story of a selfish and hot tempered prince who is turned into a hideous monster and must win the affection of a beautiful, young girl in order to regain his humanity. This Broadway musical includes the classic scores of “Be Our Guest”, “If I Can’t Love Her”, “A Change in Me”, the title song “Beauty and the Beast” and many more. The exuberant show offers humor, romance, and excitement for all ages. Performances are 7 PM Nightly and 2 PM Saturday Matinee. Tickets are just $12 for Adults and $10 for Students and can be purchased at http://ift.tt/1SbBWF4 or by calling the ECS Box Office at (239) 936-3319.

via Florida Events Calendar: Fort Myers http://ift.tt/2orITbL

Beauty and the Beast - Date: April 8, 2017 7:00 PM

More restaurant faves sign on for a savory evening at Taste of Freedom - Date: April 8, 2017 6:00 PM

Location: Fort Myers - Foodies will delight in a growing roster of restaurants eager to create a culinary wonderland at the second annual Taste of Freedom on Saturday, April 8 from 6 – 9:30 p.m. at Scanlon Lexus of Fort Myers, 4200 S. Tamiami Trail in Fort Myers. The Southwest Florida Regional Human Trafficking Coalition hosts this food-forward masquerade affair that also presents the opportunity to win a two-year lease

via Florida Events Calendar: Fort Myers http://ift.tt/2okog49

Drive awareness and a 2017 Lexus when you “Unmask and Empower” - Date: April 8, 2017 6:00 PM

Location: Fort Myers - A culinary wonderland awaits at the second annual Taste of Freedom, and so does the opportunity to win a two-year lease on a 2017 Lexus! The Southwest Florida Regional Human Trafficking Coalition hosts this food-forward masquerade affair onSaturday, April 8 from 6 – 9:30 p.m. at Scanlon Lexus of Fort Myers, 4200 S. Tamiami Trail in Fort Myers. “Unmask and Empower” is the theme as the community

via Florida Events Calendar: Fort Myers http://ift.tt/2orxskp

'Inferno' Director Ron Howard Asking $12.5M for NYC Home

Ron Howard’s Hollywood career pretty much covers it all. You may know him from his early acting days - most notably his roles on “Happy Days” and “The Andy Griffith Show” - or his more recent success as an Oscar-winning director of popular films including “A Beautiful Mind” and “The Da Vinci Code.”

Howard is now debuting his Upper West Side apartment, listed at $12.5 million.

The 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath unit features private elevator access, heated floors and a natural wood-burning fireplace. The master bathroom sports stunning tilework - and even offers views of Central Park - from the bathtub.

Photos by Rob Lowell

What the kitchen lacks in city views, it makes up for in appliances with a 48-inch Viking stove, a wine fridge, two Sub-Zero refrigerators and two dishwashers. The former maid’s room off the kitchen has been converted into a laundry room and provides an additional peek onto the park.

The giant library/office boasts built-in wooden bookshelves, but we’re guessing the prominently featured Emmy doesn’t come with the sale.

The home is in the famed Eldorado building on Central Park West, which has housed other celebrities over the years, from Bruce Willis to Alec Baldwin. The art deco-style high-rise, built in 1930, has its own fitness center and mini basketball court, and it’s so close to the Central Park tennis courts that you can nearly lob a ball over the net from your front door.

The listing is held by Robin Kencel, Lyn Stevens and Ann Cutbille Lenane of Douglas Elliman Real Estate.

via Zillow Porchlight http://ift.tt/2nHZ6eF

6 Ways to Make a Home for Your Hobbies After You Retire

Thursday, March 30, 2017

House of the Week: A $27.5M Glass House in Dallas

This home’s story began with Philip Johnson, a famous architect who was known for his iconic glass houses and his work in modern and post-modern architecture.

In 1960, Johnson was commissioned to design one of his impressive glass houses in Dallas - the only one he ever built in the city.

The end result was 10210 Straight Ln, now on the market for $27.5 million. The 5-bed, 8-bath home, which has been remodeled twice, sits on a beautifully manicured seven-acre lot.

Photos by Charles Smith, AIA.

If the architecture looks unusual for a home, that’s because the structure wasn’t originally meant to be a residence.

“This home's design, with the arches, was actually intended for [New York City’s] Lincoln Center,” shares listing agent Faisal Halum of Briggs Freeman of Sotheby’s International Realty. “Due to limitations in the right technology, it couldn't be accomplished at the time.”

Guests who enter the foyer are greeted by double staircases set against the backdrop of a breathtaking two-story glass wall. Further inside the quirky home, you’ll find a formal dining room with an arched canopy, and a kitchen comprised almost entirely of stainless steel.

The 11,387-square-foot masterpiece also boasts a media house, a modernist cabana, a pool and a tennis court.

Related:

via Zillow Porchlight http://ift.tt/2nnf3Em

Rental Affordability Is Worst in Minority Communities

Housing has become less affordable for all renters since 2011 as rent appreciation greatly outpaced income growth. But for renters living in predominately black or Hispanic neighborhoods, the situation is decidedly worse.

New data shows that, on average, residents of predominantly white neighborhoods spend 30.7 percent of their income on rent, in line with the generally accepted standard of 30 percent. Renters living in predominately black neighborhoods spend 43.7 percent of their income on rent, and renters in largely Hispanic communities spend 48.1 percent.

For renters in minority communities, devoting such a large share of income to rent limits their ability to save for a down payment, which would allow them to transition their costly rent to more affordable mortgage payments.

And when rents are unaffordable, renters begin making sacrifices like forgoing necessary medical or dental care and contributions to retirement accounts.

Tougher all around

In markets where rents overall are high for all residents, minority neighborhoods are hit even harder than white communities. In Los Angeles, renters in white communities spend 50 percent of their income on rent - well above the recommended 30 percent, but still far less than renters in black or Hispanic neighborhoods, who pay a premium of 63.7 percent and 63 percent, respectively.

In expensive San Francisco, rent in largely black communities requires the greatest share of the median income (74.8 percent), followed by rents in primarily Hispanic communities (62.5 percent) and then, after a sizable gap, rents in predominantly white communities (48.8 percent).

Boston follows a similar trend, with residents in black communities paying 71.2 percent of the median income, followed by 59.5 percent in Hispanic communities and 34.8 percent in white communities.

"This research sheds light on another example of inequality in the housing market," said Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Svenja Gudell. "Renters in African-American or Hispanic neighborhoods find themselves in a catch-22 situation: While owning a home is a great way to build wealth, you need to save up some cash to be able to buy. If you're spending close to half of your income on rent, saving for that down payment is going to be incredibly difficult."

These differences shift for homeowners, with mortgage payments requiring the greatest share of income from owners in Hispanic neighborhoods, at 22.8 percent. Homeowners in white communities allocate more of their incomes to their mortgage payments (15.2 percent) than owners in primarily black communities (13.6 percent).

Still, transitioning from renting to owning remains a challenge for minorities, not only because they have less income left over to save for a down payment, but also because race impacts minorities' ability to get approved for a mortgage. Home values in predominantly black communities also tend to be much lower than home values in predominantly white communities, contributing to this difference.

Related:

via Zillow Porchlight http://ift.tt/2nPbdXO

Beauty and the Beast - Date: April 6, 2017 7:00 PM

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

You're… Buyer-ed: Trump's Childhood Home Sold Again

UPDATE: Donald Trump's childhood home in New York City has changed hands for the third time in as many months. The newly established Trump Birth House LLC purchased the 5-bedroom Tudor-style home in Queens for $2.14 million, according to The New York Times.

ORIGINAL POST 1/23/17: The real estate investor who bought Donald Trump’s childhood home in Queens last month has resold it in an auction.

The Tudor home in the Jamaica Estates neighborhood was built in 1940 by Trump’s father, a local real estate developer and landlord. It’s where the president spent his early childhood.

The 5-bedroom, 4.5-bath home measures 2,500 square feet and has a finished basement with a full bathroom. There’s also a bonus room for guests, and a summer kitchen.

The home features a living room with a fireplace, a formal dining room and an enclosed back porch, along with the charm of arched doorways and hardwood floors.

It was first listed last summer for $1.65 million, but it took a couple of price cuts before Paramount Realty USA planned an auction for the evening of one of Trump and Hillary Clinton’s debates. That auction was postponed. Then, real estate investor Michael Davis bought the home for $1.39 million.

Davis, in turn, auctioned the home last week. The winning bidder and bid amount will not be disclosed, according to Misha Haghani, a principal at Paramount Realty USA.

Photos courtesy of Paramount Realty USA.

Related:

via Zillow Porchlight http://ift.tt/2nhxsl8