The Weekly Blend is your ‘weekly’ source covering real estate news that you just may have missed. Our hard at work Weekly Blend crew scours the web, newsgroups and forums looking for obscure, bizarre, interesting and informative real estate (or real estate related) stories. If you have one you’d like to share please feel free to share it in our comments section or tweet about it using the hashtag #WeeklyBlend. So brew yourself a fresh cup of coffee and enjoy these stories…maybe even share them with friends or colleagues. Happy reading!
Here are my weekly picks:
The Kijiji Cabin is a 75 second video that tells the story of Jeff and Julie Shirley – who left Saskatoon to live a rural life in a log cabin…and they bought everything (and I mean everything) on Kijiji.
Artist Jennifer Lawson talks about what it’s like living in the oldest house in Cowichan Valley.
Kelowna’s downtown is set to get a renovation…it just may take two-decades and private sector support. (VIDEO)
A Winnipeg couple are hoping to see big business from their tiny homes.
From tiny homes to huge properties…the Canadian Embassy in Athens has been sold – which is a rare deal in the Greek real-estate market.
A Scarborough Comfort Inn could become a shelter for homeless men.
Meet the Toronto man who paid off his mortgage in 3 years and 2 months…and he’s only 30.
If you can’t pay off you mortgage in 3 years, here are a few tips to perhaps help you pay it off 3 years earlier than expected.
Sandra Rinomata, Canada AM’s real estate expert, talks about other fees to watch for when buying real estate.
Moneysense contributor Romana King thinks people should use open houses to help narrow down their needs and develop a better understanding of the market.
The Globe & Mail weighs in on what a 24 Sussex reno should look like.
Vancouver office towers are about to get two more floors – now that the so-called ‘unlucky numbers’ will be included in future development.
A 91-year old Edmonton home has been designated a municipal historic resource, after recent approval from Edmonton’s City Council.
An application has been submitted to the City of Regina to demolish the Sears Warehouse – the eight story building that is a Municipal Heritage Holding Bylaw Property.
Business Insider offers up 10 questions to ask before buying the country home you’ve always dreamed of.
Tim Hudak, the former leader of the provincial Progressive Conservatives, wants to create province-wide guidelines for home-sharing websites such as Airbnb and ride-sharing services such as Uber.
And in San Francisco voters rejected a measure that would crack down on Airbnb.
If, as a renter, Airbnb isn’t your cup of tea then here are a few celebrity homes you can rent on your next vacation.
In an effort to boost its presence in the vacation rental market, Expedia is buying short-term rental marketplace HomeAway for $3.9 billion.
750 years of Parisian history, as told through architectural illustrations.
There’s an app that will tell you if someone died in your house (or if the house was a meth lab).
The first fast lane for pedestrians has been rolled out in Liverpool (I’m still not sure if this is a PR stunt or not…it is).
Step into the Tumblr account of the Toy Story super fan who, with meticulous detail, recreated Andy’s bedroom.
Looking south on Central Park West to Columbus Circle, this gorgeous photo of New York City captures two worlds as they exist side-by-side.
This short (37 seconds) video will show you the usefulness of drones when it comes to cleaning up your patio.
Concrete and glass skyscrapers are so 20th century. These cities of the future would be built entirely of bamboo.
Fast Company is quickly becoming another favourite of mine for the Weekly Blend which is why I’m including another story; this one is about affordable homes that can be built in a day.
Offering travellers an in-house spa, massage, hair-cut, billiards, fine-dining and much more, JFK’s new Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse pampers you before you even leave the ground.
Right now it seems that Vancouver and Toronto are the only two Canadian cities featured on the Uncommongreen.com website for unique bar ware (is putting a street map on a whiskey glass really a good idea?)
Would you live in (or sell) a house where someone was murdered?
Alabama’s largest mansion is about to go on the auction block…and it has a guitar shaped front lawn.
If you think renting in some Canadian cities is costly, have a look at the only two places in London you can afford to live on minimum wage.
For some Americans, the housing crisis isn’t over yet.
Is this the future? The largest US government lab just 3D printed a home and car that power each other. (VIDEO)
You’ll be scratching your head too when you get a look at five of the most curious/stylishly questionable makeovers Hildi Santo-Tomas did on “Trading Spaces.”
What do George Frideric Handel and Jimi Hendrix have in common? Both lived in the same building in London (200 years apart), at 23-25 Brook Street, which is now being turned into a museum.
Can Steve Buscemi create affordable housing for NYC artists?
“Holding true to Muji’s philosophy of “just enough” design, the three huts are modest, outfitted with the basics, and executed elegantly.”
Tour the apartment that’s designed to pop up in parking lots or abandoned buildings. It’s so easy to move, it’s like picking up a suitcase.
Mashable.com is quickly becoming one of my favourite ‘go-to’ sources for Weekly Blend material which is why I think you’ll like these 11 wonderfully weird buildings that actually exist.
$3,000 a month for rent is pretty common (and affordable) for San Francisco tech workers.
These two articles answer pretty much the same question. How much is your favourite TV restaurant/TV business worth in real life?
On November 7th if you find yourself near Burlington, Vermont check into the Hotel Burlington where road kill will be on the dinner menu.
How one Nashville pastor is raising money to help build tiny homes for the homeless.
American Express will now allow its members to use their rewards points directly in the booking on Airbnb.
Love this headline from the National Post: “Gangster’s home offers stunning Manhattan views, thick walls … and a slaughter room. It could be yours for $5.5M.”
