Tag Archives: homes

Culture

World’s First Pet Evacuation App

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67% of households are home to pets— cats, dogs, and fishes (American Pet Products Association). 

[According to a report, 67% of Canadians feel they live in low to moderate risk areas for natural disasters. In actuality for example, British Columbia is at risk for an earthquake up to magnitude 9.0. In comparison in 2011 it was a mag 9.0 in Japan that created the devastating tsunami.]

Why do we ignore the greatest threats to our pets well being, vulnerability to wildfires, floods, tornadoes, and other disasters?

Enter PHaR (Pet Help & Rescue app): the world’s first pet evacuation app.

Using a tight neighbors network, when disasters strike, activate the app, for a dedicated channel to arrange the rescue of your beloved animal companion.

Dave Crawford, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Animal Help Now, helped write the country’s first state legislative bill to double fines for traffic infractions in wildlife crossing zones; spearheaded RMAD’s nationwide boycott of Nalgene water bottles; stopped a multinational organization from building a Plexiglas zoo at Rocky Mountain National Park; and produced the country’s first video exposing conditions inside intensive egg facilities.

Crawford says, “PHaR was produced following the Marshall fire (Boulder County, CO; December 30, 2021), which took the lives of an estimated 1,000 dogs, cats and other pets.

Studies show – as did David’s personal experience in the Marshall Fire – that when disasters strike and you’re not home, your neighbors are your best bet to have your pets evacuated. PHaR is the only app of its kind. Not only in the United States, but in the entire world.”

A view of the destruction post tornado Moore, Oklahoma.

With this animal-focused tech nonprofit app, record and then, when needed, provide to your trusted contacts all the info they need to evacuate your beloved pets, including where their go-bag is, where their meds are, where they hide when scared, and how to get into your home. 

For more info, visit www.AHNow.org www.PHaR.org @animalhelpnow @animalhelpnowapp (IG) @pethelpandrescue

More about the non profit 

Animal Help Now, a nonprofit which operates its namesake wildlife emergency app, created PHaR. The 30-month effort started a week after the Marshall fire and culminated in the nationwide release on July 5, 2024.

Animal Help Now is a volunteer-based nonprofit with a budget under $200,000 USD/ $276,000 CAD. Creating PHaR was possible only because of public support and the dedication, perseverance and hard work of the organization’s mission-driven volunteers.

More about David:

David Crawford is co-founder and executive director of Animal Help Now. Dave has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and Mass Communication. He has been working on animal issues since 1989. He is co-founder and former long-time executive director of Rocky Mountain Animal Defense (RMAD). In that role, Dave led one of the most respected and effective regional animal advocacy organizations in the country; he produced the country’s first video exposing conditions inside intensive egg facilities; and he led the successful effort to stop a multinational organization from building a Plexiglas zoo at the Estes Park entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. RMAD also convened the first national conference on prairie dogs – the 2001 Prairie Dog Summit – and was central to the founding of the Prairie Dog Coalition. For the Silo, Kat Fleischman.

Culture

NORTH AMERICAS MOST EXPENSIVE HOME FOR SALE

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The One 1.jpg

Once projected to list for $500 million USD, this LA home is for sale at a still staggering $295 million USD.

“America’s Most Expensive Home – Twice As Big as the White House”

One of the world’s most expensive homes, appropriately named “The One,” has just hit the market. Construction ran several years late causing financial issues for the developer. If The One sells anywhere near the $295 million USD ask, it would be the most expensive home ever sold in California, well over the $177 million USD that venture-capitalist Marc Andreessen paid for his Malibu mansion in 2021 and the $165 million USD that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos paid in 2020 for his Beverly Hills estate.

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Perched on a promontory with 360-degree panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Mountains, the Bel Air mansion is surrounded on three sides by a moat and measures in at a mind-boggling 105,000 square feet – almost twice as big as the White House. Located on 3.8 acres, the house, which was actually raised during construction to further optimize the views, includes 21 bedrooms and 49 baths.

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Highlights of The One include five outdoor and indoor swimming pools with the moat encircling three quarters of the exterior, a massive nightclub, full-service beauty salon, wellness spa, 10,000-square-foot sky deck, 400-foot private outdoor running track with a glass-walled view of the city, and a private theater with seating for over 40.

In addition to ownership of one of the world’s most spectacular homes, the property also includes butterfly artwork by Stephen Wilson, an Oto Murano chandelier by Vistosi, a rotating statue by Mike Fields, and a glass sculpture by Italian artist Simone Cenedese. There is also a two-story library/office with a balcony and water features touching three windowed walls, and parquet flooring. Add in a custom bar with a smoked-mirror backsplash and marble countertops, a cigar lounge,  four-lane bowling alley, putting green, wellness center, gym, a 64-foot (19.5 Meter) indoor pool with juice bar, tennis court, 10,000-bottle wine cellar, and a 30-plus car garage with two car-display turntables.

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Entertaining in such unique luxury might draw some interesting Bel Air neighbors such as Jennifer Lawrence, who moved there last year, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Liam Hemsworth, Miley Cyrus and Kylie Jenner to name just a few.

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The property is listed by Aaron Kirman of Compass, Beverly Hills and Branden and Rayni Williams of The Beverly Hills Estates, Beverly Hills, and will go to Concierge Auctions, which if not sold prior, will be held online on February 28th. For The Silo, Terry Walsh/Top Ten Real Estate Deals.com.

Culture

Who Owns Which Celebrity Mansion? Take The Quiz And Find Out

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This piece quizzes you by presenting the interior of some of the most lavish celebrity homes and asking which celebrity owns the property.

Look closely and think before making your choices- there are clues hidden…..somewhere.


Culture

Nashville Population Rise Sparks Demand for Condo Development

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Meg Epstein, founder of CA South Development and Condo Queen of Nashville, has funded over $200 million usd in the expansion of condo projects aimed towards bridging the gap of disproportionate construction of properties in Downtown Nashville.

According to the U.S Census Bureau, Nashville, Tennessee has witnessed a steady hike in population within the metro area as it’s averaging approximately 100 new residents per day. Forbes lists the city as the 7th on America’s Fastest Growing City List. The resulting and overwhelming demand for housing in the metro area has lead to an influx of rental properties, leaving a shortage of condos and townhomes despite an increasing demand for them. Another report projects the supply to increase but will still fall short of the overall demand within the city for 2018, consisting of only a two-month supply of condo units. 

Nashville Condo Shortage
GERMANTOWN WATERFRONT CONDOS, NASHVILLE, TN – IN PROGRESS. Boutique new construction development of 35 luxury, waterfront condos nestled between the historic neighborhood of Germantown and Downtown. River Tower offers a relaxed balance between the natural elements of the Cumberland River and the eclectic destinations, venues, restaurants and professional office spaces of downtown Nashville. Features will include spacious balconies that cantilever over the water, superior modern interior architecture and finishes, and Wolf-Subzero appliances.

Per Meg Epstein, founder of CA South Development, Nashville’s disproportionate emphasis on apartment construction is unsustainable. Even with the increased demand to build properties to accommodate the population increase, Epstein points out the issue of banks favoring apartment projects for construction instead of condos or townhomes.

“Banks favor apartment projects, since they don’t mind recouping their investment over a period of years,” said Epstein. “However, market trends indicate condos are a far better investment option.”

The Wall Street Journal reports that millennials have “flocked to downtowns to live closer to jobs, transit and urban amenities, and the National Realtors Association reports that millennials now represent 36% of recent homebuyers. The fact that 29% of Nashville’s population falls into the 20 to 39 age group may help to explain the rising demand for urban condos. Epstein anticipates a continued population surge in Nashville and believes residential development will remain a smart bet. PwC ranks Nashville #9 for “Overall Real Estate Prospects” and #5 for “Investment”, and Forbes lists it at #6 in its “Where to Invest in Housing in 2018” analysis.

Today, Epstein is in the process of constructing condo homes to not only correct the supply imbalance in the region but to serve the consumer needs of millennials.

Meg Epstein

In fact, one of Epstein’s projects, River Tower, a 35-unit development, emulates urban centers from all-across the United States with its modern design and proximity to the Cumberland River and Germantown, mirroring real-estate paradigms of Brooklyn, Boston and Tampa. Nashville’s “Condo Queen” is putting her ardent vision for Nashville’s condo market to the test as her decade of construction expertise is being applied to blossoming the city’s residential neighborhoods with the development of a mixed-use, retail and 312-unit condo development in Downtown and two mid-rise condo homes south of the Gulch and in range of 8th Avenue South.  For the Silo, Ashley Richardson. Featured image- mixed use condo living Downtwon. 77-Unit Condo building with retail below. Modern aesthetic appointments & amenities blend seamlessly with sustainable design elements to shine a light on the benefits of a home based in form & function. Delivery Fall 2019.

Culture

What Single People Need to Do Before Buying A Home

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The usual route to home ownership tends to start with meeting a special someone. When you’re a couple and you want to begin a life together, it makes more sense to get a new home for yourself. You may plan to get a roomier home for the two of you, and especially if kids are part of your plan in the foreseeable future.

What if you’re single? That doesn’t mean that you can’t get a house in Montreal, or a condo in NDG (Notre-Dame-de-Grâce) or anywhere else in Canada. Here are some tips that can help if you’re single and determined to buy your own home:

  1. Get your finances in order. This is the first and most important rule, as money will always be an issue for you especially since you don’t have a partner to share the expenses. It can be problematic to get a mortgage when you’re single since you’re less likely to repay a loan than two people together who both work for a living. So, pay off your credit card debts, raise your credit score, finish paying for your car, and have enough money to put down 20% of the house price as down payment.
  2. Have lots of money in the bank. What if you lose your job right after moving into your own home? You’ll need money for all your expenses while you search for a new job. You need some money in your bank account that’s equal to three to six times your monthly wages. Keep in mind that as a homeowner you have to pay for your home’s upkeep along with home insurance and property taxes. 
  3. Make sure to account for all your possible expenses. First-time owners are often unpleasantly surprised when they encounter expenses that they don’t normally deal with when they were apartment tenants. Home ownership can be very costly, especially when you have to remodel your home. It’s also difficult to estimate what you’d have to spend, especially when you have a backyard to maintain.
  4. See if a condo makes more sense for you. In general, a condo unit makes a lot more sense than an actual house if you’re still single. A condo will probably be located closer to where you work. It’ll also be located right in the middle of the city you’re in, so entertainment establishments are conveniently nearer. A condo building can have amenities that you’ll appreciate when they’re nearby, such as a gym or a salon. It also provides you with more social opportunities to meet new people so that you’re no longer single (if that’s what you want, of course).
  5. Be conscious about security. Security is another reason why condos work best for singles as they usually have guards in the lobby to keep out strangers. If you’re living in your own house, you may want to put in a strong lock on your doors and perhaps on your gate. You should make friends with your neighbours, who can call the police when they see strangers in your home when you’re not there. A security camera tied into your smartphone can help as well, though a dog can also be useful.
  6. Look for houses with a friend. Couples have the advantage of having someone to discuss their home options so that they’re more certain of their choices. If you’re looking for possible homes to buy, make sure you call a friend to come along. They can help you think logically so your emotions don’t get the best of you.

Of course, one “side effect” of having your own home when you’re single is that you generally become more attractive to potential partners. Just make sure you buy the right home when you can actually afford it, so you can actually enjoy your new status as a homeowner. For the Silo, Dimitry Karloff. 

Vintage

First “Party Star”, Socialite Dorothy Taylor’s Beverly Hills Mansion For Sale

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“The Countess of Beverly Hills Mansions” Before Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian, socialite Dorothy Taylor may have been the first Hollywood celebrity who wasn’t in the entertainment business. She was the ultimate party host and frequent 1930’s scandal rag fodder. Her lovers included Gary Cooper, Bugsy Siegel, George Raft and an Italian count.

Dorothy Taylor Countess Of Beverly Hills And Interior 3Dorothy’s trip to celebrity fame began after she inherited $12 million in 1916, the equivalent of about $275 million today. The first thing she did with her money was divorce her British aviator husband, Claude Grahame-White, and embark on a long party in Europe’s best circles. In 1923, she married Italian Count Carlo Dentice di Frasso, many years her senior. On the outskirts of Rome, the new countess acquired and restored one of Europe’s most famous homes, Villa Madama, that had been designed in the sixteenth century by Raphael. It was later used by Benito Mussolini during World War II for National Fascist Party functions.

While residing in the villa, actor Gary Cooper was doing a movie in Rome and became quite ill. Dorothy took him in and during his recuperation began an intense affair with him under her husband’s nose. Since she and the count were at that point leading separate lives, Dorothy went on with the affair and moved to Hollywood where she purchased a mansion in Beverly Hills. Making friends of some of Hollywood’s most important stars through her Cooper connections, Dorothy called in the best decorators and landscapers and created a luxurious estate that was classic Art Deco filmdom glamour. Dorothy and Cooper eventually went their own ways but remained distant friends. She was always known as the woman who taught Gary Cooper how to dress, making him the most elegant man in Hollywood.

Dorothy Taylor Countess Of Beverly Hills And Interiors

Through her new Hollywood friends, Dorothy eventually rented her mansion to Marlene Dietrich and headed off to search for sunken treasure on the studio-owned schooner, Metha Nelson; Captain Bligh’s ship in the 1935 movie “Mutiny on the Bounty.” Also on the ship was American gangster Bugsy Siegel. Although the trip turned into a disaster when the schooner was tossed violently by 70 mile-per-hour gale winds that split the main mast and destroyed the sails, it was the start of a new affair with Bugsy.  She always rejected gossip of her association with Bugsy, instead referring to him as Benjamin to her friends.

In 1947, Dorothy sold the Beverly Hills house to MGM pianist Jose Iturbi, who lived there until he died in 1980. In 1954, Dorothy died of heart failure in a train compartment while she was traveling with George Raft from Las Vegas to Los Angeles after attending one of Dietrich’s performances.

Hand painted murals & mirrored verre églomisé panels.
Hand painted murals & mirrored verre églomisé panels.

Once again for sale, the beautifully preserved Spanish Revival estate hasn’t changed much since its heyday in the 1930s when it was featured in “House and Garden.” At approximately 8,000 square feet, it has four bedrooms and five baths on 1.12 acres. The home was built for entertaining with large public rooms and although it looks like wallpaper, the walls are covered in hand-painted murals. In the dining room, the walls are mirrored verre églomisé panels that depict towering palms. There is also a two-bedroom guest house and pool nestled within the mature landscaped grounds. The asking price is USD $26.9 million. Dimitri Velis of Hilton and Hyland in Beverly Hills is the listing agent. For the Silo, Terry Walsh.

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