8/13/2016 @ 12:05 AM - It's pop quiz time. Hey, we're not kidding. L.A. Unified students start Tuesday. So we've devised a little celebrity real estate test to take you back to those childhood days when you 1) forgot to study; 2) never read the book; or 3) the dog ate your homework. Tally up those points and see how...

8/12/2016 @ 8:56 PM - A bill to streamline court challenges to mega-developments on environmental grounds passed the California Senate on Thursday, sending the measure to Gov. Jerry Brown for signature.The bill, SB 734, extends for two years an existing measure to...

8/12/2016 @ 6:58 PM - San Francisco Superior Courts Judge Tracie Brown sentenced Gravity4 and RadiumOne founder Gurbaksh Chahal to one year in county jail for violating probation following a series of violent domestic violence disputes. Chahal, who has founded multiple ad tech companies, has been the center of controversy since being arrested and charged with domestic abuse in 2013. A security camera in Chahals home captured Chahal violently hitting and kicking a woman 117 times over a 30-minute period. At the time, Chahal was charged with 47 felony charges, but the video was then ruled to be inadmissible evidence, because of how the police obtained it. Get Data Sheet , Fortune's technology newsletter. ...

8/12/2016 @ 6:47 PM - David Thornton, a senior executive in Paramount Picture’s licensing division, died earlier this week of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound near his home in Valencia, Calif., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Two residents walking on the San Fransciquito Creek Trail in the Santa Clarita Valley community discovered the body Wednesday morning. A... Read more »

8/12/2016 @ 6:42 PM - The Californian has now won medals at six Olympics, and she is happy to use her platform to discuss gun control in the United States On Friday afternoon, American shooter Kim Rhode held her bronze. It was her sixth medal won across six Olympics on four continents, and she could feel the tears stinging her eyes. In front of her fluttered the US flag, confirmation she is now the first woman to win medals in six straight summer Olympics - her first was a gold back in 1996. Behind her fluttered an Olympic flag at half-mast to honor a Brazilian soldier killed in another spate of Rio gun violence. And those two worlds are forever complicating one of the...

8/12/2016 @ 6:00 PM - Courtesy of Chengdu Hummingbird Design Consultant Co., Ltd. Architects: Chengdu Hummingbird Design Consultant Co., Ltd. Location: No. 1, Dongkangsi Street, Daci Temple, Chengdu City, China (Taikoo Li) ...

8/12/2016 @ 5:26 PM - 'People have been saying Yahoo is a dinosaur for 10 years. They were saying that in 2006, 2007.' On a recent episode of Recode Decode , longtime Yahoo activist investor Eric Jackson spoke with Recode's Kara Swisher about why Yahoo had to sell its core business to Verizon . You can read some of the highlights from their discussion at that link, or listen to it in the audio player above. Below, we've posted a lightly edited complete transcript of their conversation. If you like this, be sure to subscribe to Recode Decode on iTunes , Google Play Music , TuneIn and...

8/12/2016 @ 4:16 PM - Thom Beers, who ankled as CEO of FremantleMedia North America a year ago, has formed a new TV production shingle, BoBCat, located at an office-studio complex in Burbank, Calif., part of which used to house the 50 cars for “Monster Garage,” the show he produced for Discovery Channel a decade ago. Now he’s wearing another hat, too:... Read more »

8/12/2016 @ 4:00 PM - Plenty has been said about Donald Trump calling President Barack Obama the founder of ISIS.” The GOP presidential candidate added to the conversation himself on Friday, tweeting that he was being sarcastic. A day earlier, he had told a radio host that Obama deserves blame for the Muslim terror groups rise because of the US military withdrawal from Iraq in 2011, which left a power vacuum for the terror group to exploit. He was the founder. The way he got out of Iraq … that was the founding of ISIS, OK?” Trump said on Hugh Hewitts radio show on Thursday morning. Of course, a distinction can be drawn between the actual founding of ISIS and its rise...

8/12/2016 @ 3:49 PM - This letter serves as my official resignation from the Planning and Transportation Commission. My family has decided to move to Santa Cruz. After many years of trying to make it work in Palo Alto, my husband and I cannot see a way to stay in Palo Alto and raise a family here ...

8/12/2016 @ 3:48 PM - Zenefits, the San Francisco-based human resources software startup, continues to make headway in clearing up its compliance issues. On Friday, new CEO David Sacks said on Twitter twtr that the company, which makes its money by selling insurance benefits to employers using its free human resources software, has resolved” its licensing issues in two more states: South Caroline and Delaware. Zenefits has agreed to pay $29,500 in fines to South Carolina, but none to the state of Delaware, according to Sacks tweets. Delaware could have fined us, but chose not to, because we self-reported the issue and took corrective measures,” tweeted Sacks. 1/ Update: Zenefits...

8/12/2016 @ 3:30 PM - Jason Henry for The Wall Street Journal In a crowded luxury-condo market, developers are betting there's at least one way to rise above the competition-add a few extra inches. The end of the standard 8-foot-high ceiling may be near, as builders tout ceiling heights of 11, 12 and even 20 feet. And buyers are paying a premium for the extra head space. In San Francisco, one of the most expensive condos in the city, a $15 million penthouse under construction in the Lumina, will have up to 18-foot ceilings. In Boston, a 13,000-square-foot penthouse with up to 14-foot ceilings at Millennium Tower is under contract for north of $30 million, setting a...

8/12/2016 @ 3:11 PM - Residential transactions in Santa Clara, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, published Aug. 13, 2016.

8/12/2016 @ 2:50 PM - Australian entrepreneur and film producer Andrew Banks, who appears on the television series 'Shark Tank Australia,' is looking to hook a buyer for his estate in Beverly Hills. He's put the 10,522-square-foot home on the market for $17.495 million, or nearly twice what he paid for the property...

8/12/2016 @ 2:44 PM - It's no secret that homes in good school districts come at a premium and can be good investments for people with or without children. Now an article in realtor.com has taken a closer look at just how much you can expect to pay and where the top school districts are located. An economic research team at realtor.com analyzed data comparing homes in school districts rated nine or 10 with homes in nearby districts where schools were rated six or lower. Apparently, homes in higher rated public school districts are an average of 49% more expensive, at $400,000 compared to the national median of $269,000. They are 77% more expensive compared with lower ranked districts with homes of...

8/12/2016 @ 2:31 PM - Aside from being a product attorney at a tech firm, Kate Downing also served as a planning and transportation commissioner for Palo Alto. Her responsibilities in the position included pushing city officials to build more housing and pass pro-development policies that could help solve the growing affordability crisis. Downing recently took to online to say she can't afford to live in the city anymore either.

8/12/2016 @ 2:14 PM - Landmark Network, Inc., a Los Angeles-based appraisal management company that offers a full range of national valuation and technology solutions, has completed the acquisition of national appraisal management company AppraisalPro. The post Landmark Network Acquires AppraisalPro appeared first on DSNews .

8/12/2016 @ 1:43 PM - GV, the unit of Alphabet formerly known as Google Ventures, has all but stopped investing in startups at their most nascent stage. According to data from research firm CB Insights, GV completed no seed-stage deals in the first half of this year, down from 10 such deals last year. That represented a 77% drop from the number of deals it did in 2014. Here are GVs seed-stage deals charted: GVs former chief executive and co-founder, Bill Maris, stepped down after an eight-year tenure on Aug. 11, putting David Krane, a former Google public relations chief, in charge. Maris, 41, told Recode he was leaving because everything is great ” and that he wanted to...

8/12/2016 @ 1:42 PM - The iconic Tribune Tower and other downtown properties seized earlier this year from embattled businessman Thomas Henderson have been listed for sale by a court-appointed receiver who claims 'sweetheart' leases were offered at Oakland's most recognizable building.

8/12/2016 @ 1:00 PM - It might be hard to imagine something from the late 1930s being relevant today, but when it comes to California Ranch-style homes, there's plenty. Airy indoor-outdoor living, vaulted ceilings with exposed beams, terra-cotta floors and brick fireplaces are just some of the period details that homeowners ...

8/12/2016 @ 12:55 PM - Hugh Grant has very nice things to say about Donald Trump: 'I won't hear a word against him' try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Hugh Grant revealed a surprising fondness for Donald Trump on Thursday's after-show of Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live." A caller asked Grant, who was on the show promoting his new movie "Florence Foster Jenkins," which is worse: Donald Trump or Brexit? Grant then explained that Trump had appeared in his 2002 movie "Two Weeks Notice," and had made quite the impression on the actor. "He was very charming to me and made me a member of his golf club afterward, so I won't...

8/12/2016 @ 12:41 PM - From the Los Angeles website: Limp Bizkit is keeping up with the Kardashians. Fred Durst, lead singer of America's premier rap metal band and of no relation to the Durst Organization, recently traded his Hollywood Hills home for a $1.6 million pad in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Hidden Hills, The Real Deal has learned. [more] … [more]

8/12/2016 @ 12:18 PM - Want to rent an apartment in Nashville or Minneapolis? Its not cheap, and its getting more expensive, according to the lastest numbers from apartment-research company Abodo. Abodo reported that in August, the average one-bedroom rent stood at $1,368 a month. Thats an increase of 14 percent from the $1,197 average rent in the city one month earlier. Nashville, too, saw a big increse in monthly rents. Abodo says that the average one-bedroom rent in Nashville stood at $1,124 a month. Thats an increase of 13 percent from July. Whats behind these increases? Demand, of course. Both Nashville and Minneapolis are emerging technology centers, and both are attractive alternatives to more crowded and expensive Silicon Valley. A growing number...

8/12/2016 @ 12:00 PM - This guy is 'the next Warren Buffett' try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Some phenomena happen so rarely that we'll wait years to see them, like the reappearance of Halley's Comet or the Detroit Lions winning their first Super Bowl. In the same vein, there are some visionaries who come along only once every few generations, leaving such a huge mark on business and popular culture, it's hard to imagine they could ever be matched. Think Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs and Warren Buffett. In the business world, Buffett - affectionately known as the Oracle of Omaha - is one of the biggest names in the 21st century, with an unerring, almost...

8/12/2016 @ 11:30 AM - Highlights from this week's top news stories on luxury and global real estate, art, collectibles and home. $3,275,000 USD | Orange Beach, Alabama | Kaiser Sothebys International Realty The 5,200-square-foot house sits on just over an acre. There are four bedrooms in the main residence, in addition to a bedroom in the attached guest suite. There's also a two-car garage with a workshop.” In Alabama, a Contemporary Residence with Bayou Views – Mansion Global A Horta House in Belgium with Art Nouveau Appeal –  International New York Times For Sale: 6 Cool Geometric Homes...

8/12/2016 @ 11:00 AM - Berkeley grad Chuck Katis envisioned hed be competing in Rio this August. He spent the past year training, only to fall just short of making the U.S. Olympic swim team at the trials in June. I put my heart and soul into swimming,” Katis, 23, told CNNMoney. How do you deal with that sort of disappointment?” Katis has been channeling his energy into entrepreneurship since returning to San Francisco after the trials in Omaha, Nebraska. If he cant follow in the footsteps of a Michael Phelps, why not go the way of Airbnb founder Brian Chesky instead? Back in 2008 when it was still called Air Bed & Breakfast, Airbnb launched an...

8/12/2016 @ 10:55 AM - Simone Manuel; Michael Phelps (Credit: AP/Martin Meissner/Michael Sohn) Its actually quite simple - you make a mistake, like everybody does - and then other people point out that error and so you say youre sorry and then you fix it . And yet every day, millions of individuals and institutions and presidential candidates suffer from a debilitating condition called Inability to Apologize. So lets give a modest round of applause this week to San Joses The Mercury News, for at least hitting the bar of appropriate responsiveness after screwing up its initial coverage of Thursdays historic night for the U.S. Olympic swim team. It was an unprecedented evening. 31-year-old Michael Phelps, competing in his fifth...

8/12/2016 @ 10:45 AM - Singer-songwriter Josh Groban has parted ways with his home in Malibu, selling the gated estate for $3.75 million in a deal finalized outside of the Multiple Listing Service. Once listed for as much as $6.1 million, or offered for lease at $23,000 a month, the Tuscan-style house relisted in March...

8/12/2016 @ 10:31 AM - (Flyer via Escaping Time”) Governors Island  is more than just another out-of-the-way-ish New York City nook. After years of abandonment, the islands only recently embarked on a steady climb towards reclamation and it remains largely stuck in the past, having missed out on years of the progress seen by the rest of the city while interned as an exclusive home for military officers, then a coast guard haven, before it was abandoned altogether in 1996, left to hang in an off-limits sort of limbo, with nature serving as its only developer. Fresh off the ferry, you might be only 800 yards from Lower Manhattan, but as you make your way inland, the Manhattan skyline starts to disappear, obscured by...

8/12/2016 @ 10:05 AM - Friday Feedback This is Erin Griffith filling in for Dan Primack while he's on vacation. New York is melting, Dan returns next week, and the deals news is as slow as a Friday in August. In other words, time for some Friday Feedback. [ts_bullet_primary] First up is my column on AngelList's three billion-dollar exits: Kevin writes: Down the line, AngelList will have some massive unicorn power law returns where syndicates played at attractive entry points. However, if we estimate that the AL syndicate for Cruise was the Series A near a $100 million valuation, the syndicate for Dollar Shave Club was at a $500...

8/12/2016 @ 9:52 AM - Mike Markkula, Apple's third employee and former CEO and chairman, has listed his longtime California home for sale for $45 million, the Wall Street Journal reported . Dubbed 'Rana Creek Ranch,' the property spans 14,000 acres of land in Carmel Valley, about 85 miles south of Silicon Valley. In addition to a 5,413-square-foot main house, there's a private landing strip, lake, riding arena, and two barns. Markkula and his wife Linda bought the home and surrounding acres for $8 million in 1992. ' We’ve enjoyed it. We've loved it but it’s time to move on,' he told the WSJ. SEE ALSO: Restoration Hardware CEO Gary Friedman is selling his $10.5...

8/12/2016 @ 9:52 AM - Jerry Seinfeld reveals the joke he wrote for Obama, plans to bring 'Comedians in Cars' to TV try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Jerry Seinfeld was just as surprised as everybody else to hear that his Crackle series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee , was nominated for an Emmy alongside Last Week Tonight With John Oliver , The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live! "I feel like Lewis and Clark here paddling down the river to find the new world, and I can't believe I've found it," he says of the Sony-produced show in which he interviews comedy heavyweights including...

8/12/2016 @ 9:26 AM - 'American Idol' alum Jax discusses her cancer battle: 'I'm running, I'm healthy and working out' try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){} American Idol Season 14 alum Jax - who revealed this week that she has been battling thyroid cancer- has literally hit the ground running as she stares down the disease with a positive attitude and desire to get back to work. Dressed in a leather jacket and enjoying a healthy dinner at The Gusto Grill in her hometown of East Brunswick, New Jersey, the 20-year old tells Billboard she is not letting a little thing like cancer get in the way of her goals. As a matter of...

8/12/2016 @ 9:01 AM - If you're a broker and you're not already using home staging, maybe you should be. Staging homes and apartments for viewings by prospective buyers has become a big business, and more and more members of the industry are getting in the game. Nationwide, 96 percent of brokers who work with buyers believe that staging a home that is listed for sale has an impact on a buyer's view of the home, according to a 2015 survey by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). They have good reason to believe that – the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found that on average, a staged home will sell 17 percent higher than a comparable home that isn't...

8/12/2016 @ 8:15 AM - Apple might be looking to further expand its presence in Seattle, Washington following its acquisition of Seattle-based machine learning and artificial intelligence startup Turi . The news comes from reports of a "large California company" looking to purchase a big piece of office space in the city, with most believing that it's Apple (via GeekWire ). Last week, Apple paid $200 million to acquire Turi, which bills itself as a "machine learning platform for developers and data scientists," helping them build apps using the capabilities of artificial intelligence. Although the company's acquisition of Turi helps justify the rumor of Apple's expansion in Seattle, nothing has yet been solidified and, according to GeekWire...

8/12/2016 @ 8:15 AM - It was a night of triumph and history for the United States in two of the Olympics showcase sports at the Rio Games. Swimmers Michael Phelps and Simone Manuel stole the show at the pool Thursday night, and superstar gymnast Simone Biles became the fourth straight American woman to win gold in the individual all-around event and she has opportunities to earn more next week. Manuel entered the history books in multiple ways at once to start with, by becoming the first African-American female swimmer to win an individual Olympics event. The way in which the Stanford swimmer took gold in the womens 100-meter freestyle made for some Olympics magic, too: She and Canadas Penny...

8/12/2016 @ 8:00 AM - Much like the rest of the entire six-county region, Ventura County saw its median price for single-family homes climb in June. The county, which includes Oxnard, Thousand Oaks and Ventura, saw prices rise 6.2% year over year to $615,000. That makes it second only to Orange County in terms of highest-priced...

8/12/2016 @ 8:00 AM - (Credit: aimintang via iStock ) Congratulations, Silicon Valley, youve reached a historic home-price benchmark-while also hosting one of the largest homeless populations in the nation. Data released Wednesday from the National Association of Realtors shows that the median price for a home surpassed $1 million in the region around San Jose, California  - a first for any metro area in the country. The San Jose-Santa Clara County metropolitan zone, which includes affluent precincts such as Los Altos and Palo Alto, has long been an expensive place to live thanks to the outsize presence of tech firms, and the millionaire executives that run them. As with last year, the San...

8/12/2016 @ 8:00 AM - The City of Champions is now a city under construction. With the Los Angeles Rams heading back to town, Inglewood is in the midst of building a new football stadium; high-profile residential, retail and office developments; and three light-rail stations on the next major Metro line. Throw in a...

8/12/2016 @ 7:50 AM - Found in the affluent Hope Ranch area of Santa Barbara, this French country estate evokes a storybook setting with its ivy-wrapped facade, turreted entry and slate roof. Inside, features of note include vaulted ceilings, cottage windows and radiant heat floors. A remodeled kitchen and updated bathrooms...

8/12/2016 @ 7:37 AM - Recently, my boyfriend and I completed a one-week road trip from the California Redwoods to Portland, Oregon. When I returned to work and everyone asked how my trip was, rather than responding with the typical Too fast,” I responded that it was great. Lazy, hazy days these were not. We did so much, saw so much, and oh my goodness, ate so much: homemade posole under the stars with friends in Sonoma, fresh-caught Dungeness crabs on the Oregon coast, Roman-style pizza in Portland, and an unhealthy amount of beef jerky on the road. We hiked, swam, paddled, and laughed between mountains, lakes, and beaches. It felt satisfying, eye-opening, and varied. And it felt long. ...

8/12/2016 @ 7:00 AM - This home, situated in one of the nation's most expensive zip codes, offers a glimpse of old Atherton: it's a modest two bed, one bath, under 1,700 square feet, with garage, chicken coop, and separate guest house/barn situated upon a walnut orchard. Other than some gratuitous staging (fake flowers, dog biscuits in a bowl for non-existent dog), 28 Selby Lane has been virtually untouched - and somewhat neglected - since being built in 1948. The only thing that points to change over time is the price tag for this property: $5,895,000. In fairness, the value is in the land itself. Whatever you think of the house, it's sitting on 1.66 acres of prime Atherton real estate. As...

8/12/2016 @ 6:52 AM - Click here if viewing from a mobile device.Mike Markkula, Apple's third co-founder, is selling his Carmel Valley, Calif.

8/12/2016 @ 6:30 AM - Keeping your housing costs low is key to achieving financial freedom. Minimizing your expenses frees up more money for investments, savings, and pursuing your passions. While renting an apartment or a house is still the mainstream approach, there are other alternatives available that are more cost effective. By pursuing one of these nontraditional housing options, you can cut your expenses and break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle. 1. Co-Living Spaces Co-living spaces, which often resemble college dorms, are increasingly popular in places with a high cost of living, such as San Francisco. The tech capital is booming, and as a result, it is unaffordable for many; a one-bedroom can cost nearly $3500 a month. More and more...

8/12/2016 @ 6:00 AM - I recently turned 29 years old , so I definitely cant deny that Im in my late 20s” now. Although my late 20s came with a few more wrinkles and a lot less sleep due to my children, the good news is that Ive learned so much more about how to save money and manage my finances than I ever knew in my early 20s. In the last decade I improved my understanding of the consequences of debt; when its good and when its not and how to climb out of it; how to start investing; the incredible importance of saving for retirement early on and so much more. In regards to that last point, here are some...

8/12/2016 @ 6:00 AM - realtor.com When we see a listing with 11 bedrooms, were like luxury lab rats. Our minds are trained to look for the seven- or eight-digit price tag. Take Donald Trump s former Beverly Hills, CA, home. Listed this week , the 11-bedroom home on Rodeo Drive is selling for $30 million. Typical. But wait! The most-clicked home on realtor.com® this week comes with 11 bedrooms, but it isnt a million-dollar mansion. In fact, this Illinois house is listed for just a tick above $100,000. How is this even possible ? Well, its a former church, so youll have to get used to the stained-glass windows in your living room....

8/12/2016 @ 5:21 AM - Simone Manuel has become the first African-American woman to win a gold medal in an individual Olympic swimming event. SEE ALSO: Simone Manuel overcome with emotion after historic swim for America But for a Californian paper that wasn't historic enough.  Mercury News, which brings the latest Silicon Valley and San Francisco Bay Area news, caused a backlash for their headline "Michael Phelps shares historic night with African-American":  The tweet was later deleted, but not before started comparing the blunder to a Donald Trump's boutade: Others attempted to explain it by blaming the recent wave of...

8/12/2016 @ 5:01 AM - Kelly Stonelake, Facebook Creative Shop's lead, has a special affinity for real estate -- so when she took the stage at Inman Connect San Francisco, she had some things to say about how real estate agents especially can take advantage of some of Facebook's nuances ...

8/12/2016 @ 4:25 AM - UC Berkeley has picked a developer to build a 200-room hotel at University Avenue and Oxford Street across from the campus, a university official said Thursday.

8/12/2016 @ 4:01 AM - There were 38,000 completed foreclosure nationally in the month of June, representing the 56th straight month of year-over-year decline, according to CoreLogic's June 2016 National Foreclosure Report ...

8/12/2016 @ 4:00 AM - It's time to update those contact managers with CoStar's People of Note, reporting news on significant new CRE hires and promotions. This week's issue includes the following markets: New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Texas and more!NEW YORK CITYMoore Joins Rockefeller as EVP, Urban Development HeadBy Justin SumnerThe Rockefeller Gro

8/12/2016 @ 3:31 AM - Theyd use Tinder a lot - except for Charlotte, whod use The League. 1. First things first, Carrie's laptop would be the rose gold MacBook. 2. Samantha would constantly be on Tinder. 3. And she'd swipe right so much she'd run out of new guys. 4. Charlotte wouldn't even consider joining Tinder. 5. She'd opt for The League instead. 6. Charlotte and Trey would meet at a party hosted by The League. 7. Miranda would be in a relationship with Netflix. 8. And she'd order chocolate eclairs from Seamless all the time. 9. Aidan would have an Etsy account. HBO ...

8/12/2016 @ 1:45 AM - In 13 prior Summer Games and three appearances by lone athletes at the Winter Olympics Fiji was oh-fer. No medals. Not since becoming an IOC member in the 1950s. Well, get the trophy case ready because the mens rugby sevens team is bringing home gold. Sure, there are other rugby titles already on the Fiji resume, but to win the first gold medal ever handed out for rugby is an overwhelmingly special moment for the rugby-crazed nation. I was just thankful to the lord for blessing us and giving us an opportunity to win in a mega-sport arena like the Olympics,” captain Osea Kolinisau told reporters at a news conference that began...

8/12/2016 @ 1:00 AM - © Paul Riddle Architects: Alison Brooks Architects Location: Kilburn Ln, London, United Kingdom Project Year: 2015 ...

8/11/2016 @ 10:16 PM - So-called 'granny flats', or smaller homes built in back yards for aging parents or rentals, are being challenged in a number of cities in the U.S. Los Angeles in particular has seen the 'granny flat' battle heat up to epic proportions, with some homeowners who have recently bought permits to build a second unit on their single-family lot now being barred from actually building them. Officials had previously granted permission to build them, but now are refusing to hand over the necessary certificate of occupancy. This means that utility companies won't connect these new units to the grid, making them essentially uninhabitable. One argument goes that granny flats help to ease housing shortages, and are...

8/11/2016 @ 8:54 PM - Nearly 40 years ago, US architects Craig Hodgetts and Lester Walker envisioned for New York City an elevated, wide-body bus” that straddles ordinary road traffic. The radical idea garnered some media attention but never became a reality-until, that is, this month in Chinas Hebei province. Sort of, anyway. Beijing-based TEB Technology Development took its transit-elevated bus (TEB) on its first road test in the city of Qinhuangdao on Aug. 2, reported state newswire Xinhua . China conducts road test for homegrown transit elevated bus that can carry 300 people https://t.co/Q8II4YcbMA pic.twitter.com/aHz3tTJiwh - China Xinhua News (@XHNews) August 2, 2016 It differs...

8/11/2016 @ 8:32 PM - Its been three long years, but the worlds largest furniture retailer, IKEA, has finally started construction on its first store in India. The 400,000-square-foot store in Hyderabad, in the southern state of Telangana, will open in 2017 and carry 7,500 products. The restaurant on site will serve Swedish specialties, as well as Indian foods such as Biryani, a rice dish that is wildly popular in the state. The store is expected to attract 5 million to 6 million customers every year. This is a big milestone for us today and all of us are very proud that the first IKEA store in India seems very close to reality now,” Juvencio Maeztu, chief executive officer for...

8/11/2016 @ 7:54 PM - (Credit: aimintang via iStock ) Congratulations, Silicon Valley, youve reached a historic home-price benchmark-while also hosting one of the largest homeless populations in the nation. Data released Wednesday from the National Association of Realtors shows that the median price for a home surpassed $1 million in the region around San Jose, California  - a first for any metro area in the country. The San Jose-Santa Clara County metropolitan zone, which includes affluent precincts such as Los Altos and Palo Alto, has long been an expensive place to live thanks to the outsize presence of tech firms, and the millionaire executives that run them. As with last year, the San...

8/11/2016 @ 7:43 PM - EXCLUSIVE: Rob Lowe on agreeing to be Comedy Central's next roast victim: 'Am I stupid to have said yes?' try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Comedy Central's next roast victim, Rob Lowe, has been a huge fan of the comic tradition, but it's a whole lot different when you're the one in the hot seat. "Am I stupid to have said yes to it?" Lowe joked with ET's Nischelle Turner. "It's a mistake, right?" WATCH: Rob Lowe Can't Wait for His Comedy Central Roast: 'It's Totally Open Season' ET caught up with the 52-year-old actor as he shot the new promo for the Comedy Central...

8/11/2016 @ 7:35 PM - According to a new Bankrate.com (NYSE: RATE) report, Hawaii has the highest mortgage closing costs in the country, while Pennsylvania has the lowest. When based on a $200,000 loan, Hawaii's closing costs averaged out to $2655, while in Pennsylvania these closing costs were just $1837. The national average is $2128. New York has the second-highest closing costs at $2560, followed by North Carolina at $2409, Delaware at $2358, South Carolina at $2322 and Connecticut at $2313. Pennsylvania isn't the only state with low closing costs, as in Wisconsin closing costs were $1863, while in Kentucky they were $1874, in South Dakota this figure was $1904, in Oklahoma it was $1911 and in Missouri it was $1926....

8/11/2016 @ 7:03 PM - Authorities in Barcelona have stepped up a crackdown on homes illegally rented out to tourists via homesharing websites such as Airbnb airbnb , ordering hundreds to be removed from listings and hitting firms with a fine, while threatening more in the future. Barcelona is not the only European city to take a swipe at Airbnb, which has rapidly expanded across the globe and often come into conflict with local rules. This year, Paris conducted raids on illegally sub-letted apartments and Berlin imposed a ban on owners renting out entire properties. Barcelonas town hall said on Wednesday it would fine both Airbnb and fellow online rental firm, Homeaway, 60,000 euros...

8/11/2016 @ 6:30 PM - A top North Carolina Trump staffer has stepped down amid allegations he pulled a gun on a fellow campaign staffer. In a civil case filed late Wednesday in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, former North Carolina Trump campaign staffer Vincent Bordini alleges that Earl Phillip, then the campaigns state director, pulled a gun on him as the pair drove to a hotel near Greenville, South Carolina. They were in town in February to check on other campaign members during that states primary. All of a sudden,” the complaint reads, Vincent saw Phillip pull a gun out from his side of the Jeep.” Phillip allegedly pressed the barrel of the .45-caliber pistol into Vincents left knee. According to the...

8/11/2016 @ 6:26 PM - 'People care about Yahoo, even if they don't use it.' On a recent episode of Too Embarrassed to Ask , Recode's Kara Swisher and The Verge's Lauren Goode discussed what happens to Yahoo now that it's set to be scooped by by Verizon . You can read some of the highlights from their discussion at that link, or listen to it in the audio player above. Below, we've posted a lightly edited complete transcript of their conversation. If you like this, be sure to subscribe to Too Embarrassed to Ask on iTunes , Google Play Music , TuneIn or Stitcher ....

8/11/2016 @ 6:15 PM - As the father of a student shot and killed in California, Trump's callous comments about Clinton and others make him at best incompetent - and at worst evil As the parent of a son who was shot and killed, the way Donald Trump talks so callously about gun violence horrifies me. Early in the campaign, he said he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose any voters. And this week, he suggested that gun violence could be a way to deal with Hillary Clinton because she wants to 'essentially abolish the second amendment'. Continue reading...

8/11/2016 @ 6:06 PM - The South and West, to no surprise, dominate the country in terms of highest performing markets. However, the data making the West one of the top regions is starting to change. In order to have a strong recovery, the West is sacrificing one of the factors it needs the most: affordability.

8/11/2016 @ 5:31 PM - From the August issue: In what has been billed as a mutually beneficial bargain between two tech giants, Google and LinkedIn have brokered a cash-free real estate deal that will pave the way for their respective Silicon Valley expansions. The nation's capital is set to embark on a multi-decade redevelopment project that will bring housing, retail and a hotel to the site of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, which has been closed since 2011. [more] … [more]

8/11/2016 @ 5:20 PM - There are so many things to consider when searching for your dream home: location, size, school district, number of bedrooms - the list goes on. One question you may forget to ask yourself is "What kind of bugs and pests will I have to deal with?" Pests are everywhere, and having a few in your home is pretty much inevitable. But knowledge is power when it comes to critters, says Dr. Nancy Troyano, director of technical education and training at Rentokil Pest Control . When you know what pests to look out for, and how to recognize and prevent an infestation, you can keep unwanted visitors at bay. The first step is to educate yourself...

8/11/2016 @ 5:17 PM - Go, and never darken my towels again.” If Groucho Marx ever actually delivered that line to a guest, it could easily have been in this Los Angeles home, where he lived in the 1940s. The 5-bedroom, 4-bath Cape Cod has been remodeled, but you can still picture him leaning on the fireplace mantle with a cigar in his mouth, speed-muttering a witty phrase. The Marx brother famously never wanted to join any club that would have him as a member, which is just as well, because this home now on the market for $4.549 million is closer to The Roxy Theatre and Whisky A Go-Go on the Sunset Strip than to a country club. ...

8/11/2016 @ 5:15 PM - Whatever his intentions, Stephen Rogata had arrived to borrow a famous Trumpism bigly. For three harrowing hours, the young Virginian soared high above the scorching streets of midtown Manhattan. The 19-year-old precariously hauled his thin frame up the side of Trump Tower on Wednesday afternoon. He methodically positioned suction cups above his head as he ascended the facade of the 68-story glass behemoth. He stopped pedestrian and motor traffic along Fifth Avenue near Central Park. Onlookers chronicled the climb with cell phones and cameras. Every foot of the ascent lifted Rogata to a new level of social media stardom. Millions witnessed his daredevil stunt as multiple cable networks like CNN, MSNBC and...

8/11/2016 @ 4:59 PM - Even with low interest rates, rising home prices in California are exceeding residents' means to purchase, according to the California Association of Realtors (CAR), which says only 31 percent of the state's population could afford to purchase an existing median-priced home in the second quarter ...

8/11/2016 @ 4:30 PM - realtor.com For those in love with earth-sheltered homes and in possession of an active imagination, theres a place in California where you can live out your wildest dreams. Weve found a home just for you: Its listed  for sale at $449,000 and located in Oakhurst, CA . Theres only one final hurdle to leap: The structure is built and buried, but the interior is a blank canvas. Yes. Its unfinished, but that's where a smart buyer steps in. Called a 'Thinking Person's Mansion,' this home needs a buyer to complete the interior spaces and finish the project. Your new project takes place within a living space of 3,639 square feet encased in 10-inch-thick fireproof walls....

8/11/2016 @ 4:27 PM - Whether you have children or not, it pays to buy in an area with great schools. Realtor.com ® recently released a new study that identifies the price premium to buy a home in a strong public school district, as well as the top 10 districts garnering the highest home prices and demand from buyers. School districts rising to the top are: Beverly Hills Unified in Los Angeles; Highland Park Independent School District in Dallas; Kenilworth School District No. 38 in Kenilworth, Ill.; Rocky River City School District in Cuyahoga, Ohio; Clear Creek Independent School District in Harris, Texas; and School Town Of Munster School District in Lake, Ind. Realtor.com® compared homes located in school districts rated 9 or 10...

8/11/2016 @ 4:26 PM - With his near daily, and often times hourly, outrageous remarks dominating the news cycle in a rinse-and-repeat pattern of outrage followed by a refusal to budge, Donald Trump and his campaign of demagoguery have drowned out otherwise newsworthy political developments for over a year now. 'On other campaigns, we would have to scrounge for crumbs,' one senior Hillary Clinton adviser told Time recently. 'Here, it's a fire hose. He can set himself on fire at breakfast, kill a nun at lunch and waterboard a puppy in the afternoon. And that doesn't even get us to prime time.' Just this week alone, Trump informed his supporters and the media that there is no use in waiting...

8/11/2016 @ 4:19 PM - As everyone remains distracted with Olympic activity in Rio, music executive, producer and ex-X Factor judge Antonio 'L.A.' Reid has slid into a brand new mansion on the west side of L.A. While music moguls snatching up mega mansions in Los Angeles is hardly breaking news, Reids new pad-scored for a hearty $17.99 million-is an epic piece of architecture, to say the least. Sprawling over 11,200 square feet, the home includes a 300-bottle wine cellar, a home theater, a bar and a gym.  The home boasts seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms, and Reid can take one of two floating glass staircases or an elevator to the three floors in his new posh pad. Beyond the homes walls, 2,820-square-feet...

8/11/2016 @ 4:00 PM - Making the leap from renting to buying is thrilling and liberating — for many, it signifies the realization of 'the American Dream.' Buying a home is also a long-term commitment, and one that requires strong financial standing. If any of these signs strike a chord, you may want to delay taking on a mortgage in the near future. SEE ALSO: How to figure out if you can afford to buy a home You have a low credit score Before considering home ownership, you'll want to check your credit score, which you can do through free sites like...

8/11/2016 @ 3:36 PM - Heres an interesting study in before and after although technically, both these homes fall into the after” side of Donald Trumps chronology. The presidential hopeful spent his early childhood in this first home, located in the Jamaica Estates section of Queens in New York City. Now on the market for $1.55 million , it was built by Trumps father, a local real estate developer and landlord, according to listing agent Howard Kaminowitz of Laffey Fine Homes . "We hope to sell before the election," he said. The house is a bargain for a large family.” Gracious though it is, the 2,000-square-foot home has no sweeping marble entrances or gold-plated fixtures. Its a 5-bedroom, 4.5-bath family...

8/11/2016 @ 3:30 PM - After critics blasted Donald Trump last week for unveiling a roster of 13 economic advisers without any women, the Republican nominee has added nine new members eight of which are female. The Trump campaign announced the additions Thursday and said the move was meant to show a commitment to adding diverse thoughts to the Trump/Pence campaign.” The first slate of 13 advisers was named on August 5. Most members of the all-male team were primarily involved in real estate and finance. When pressed about the lack of diversity, two of those economists David Malpass and Peter Navarro told CNN on Sunday that women would be added. The names added to the the advisory...

8/11/2016 @ 3:17 PM - By Ashkan Zandieh, founder and CEO, Falkon Entrepreneurship in real estate tech seems to have gone the way of Greece's economy - dramatic decline. A quick glance at real estate tech startup launches over the past few years tells the bigger story. Here's a look at some of the numbers: Real estate tech has felt the hit globally. A recent study conducted by Falkon shows that from 2012 to 2015, 282 real estate tech startups, on average, were launched each year. That number fell to a meek 69 in 2015-2016. In just a few short years, the real estate tech industry took a hit of a 75.5 percent decrease. The numbers...

8/11/2016 @ 3:12 PM - SELLER: Mike Medavoy LOCATION: Beverly Hills, CA PRICE: $11.95 million SIZE: 8,829 square feet, 6 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms YOUR MAMA'S NOTES: Although more likely a simple case of overly optimistic original pricing rather than incontrovertible evidence of the much-yammered about slump in the high-end real estate market, Mike Medavoy has slashed the asking price of... Read more »

8/11/2016 @ 3:01 PM - realtor.com A couple of Southern California mansions with ties to Republican nominee Donald Trump are among this weeks most expensive new listings. In the top spot is a $46.5 million estate in Santa Monica belonging to a real estate investor who formed a multimillion-dollar super PAC to back the reality TV stars presidential bid. And in addition to funneling money directly to the candidate, he used his home (now for sale) to host a fundraiser in late May. In the third spot, a Beverly Hills home once owned by The Donald himself is back on the market. Sold by the presidential hopeful in 2009, its since had most traces of Trump removed and is...

8/11/2016 @ 3:00 PM - Donald Trump is denying that that he called on gun advocates to use arms against Hillary Clinton but that hasnt stopped a raging debate about whether his comments have crossed a legal line. Free speech experts and watchdog groups say he hasnt broken any law. But they are still cautioning that his words can have consequences. Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Thursday asked Trump if intended to incite violence” against his Democratic presidential opponent with his comments Tuesday that Second Amendment people” could perhaps prevent her from appointing Supreme Court justices as president. No, of course not,” he said, and people know that.” But Patti Davis, the daughter of Ronald Reagan himself the...

8/11/2016 @ 2:43 PM - Kushner Companies announced the signing of a 15-year lease agreement to bring LOS TACOS No. 1 to Times Square in the former New York Times building. The 1,800 s/f space will be the first brick-and-mortar presence for the Mexican street-food style Taqueria, which serves more than 1,000 people each day in its Chelsea Market location. The restaurant will be located at 229 West 43rd Street, adjacent to the lobby entrances of Yahoo and Snapchat. Kushner Cos. acquired the retail condominium space at 229 West 43rd in 2015. The restaurant will open in this coming winter. 'We're excited to announce this deal as part of our ongoing repositioning of this iconic site,' said Laurent Morali, president of...

8/11/2016 @ 2:31 PM - Paul Sakuma for The Wall Street Journal Rising home prices and growing affordability concerns showed no signs of abating in the second quarter, as San Jose, Calif. became the first city where the price of a typical home eclipses $1 million. Home prices rose in 83% of metropolitan areas across the U.S. in the second quarter compared with a year earlier, according to data released Wednesday by the National Association of Realtors. That is a slight decline from the first quarter, when price increases were reported in 87% of metro areas. Still, there were some signs the market is starting to cool, bringing welcome relief for home buyers. Twenty-five...

8/11/2016 @ 2:20 PM - California's affordability crisis continues to plague the state, pricing more and more would-be homeowners out of the market. How could they buy a home though? Homebuyers need to earn more than a minimum annual income of $100K to qualify for the median-priced, existing single-family home in the state. Think that's steep? It only gets more outrageous in the latest data from the California Association of Realtors.

8/11/2016 @ 2:20 PM - Here are 9 of the craziest celeb items that have been auctioned off online Fans have done some cray stuff for celebs, this we all know. SEE ALSO: Padma Patil from 'Harry Potter' grew up to be an absolutely stunning human being However, what exactly was the absolute craziest? Lucky for you (and thanks to Buzzfeed ), we jotted down the nine craziest celeb items that have been auctioned off online! 9.) Someone thought it was a good idea to bring a mason jar to the " Mr. & Mrs. Smith " premiere, and capture Brad and Angelina's air molecules as they passed. ...

8/11/2016 @ 2:00 PM - Swiss architect Peter Zumthor has revealed renderings showing his design for the new Los Angeles County Museum of Art , which is based on nearby tar pits (+ slideshow). (more…)

8/11/2016 @ 2:00 PM - When aviation enthusiast Lenny Sikora is in the mood for fresh snapper at his favorite seafood restaurant, he and his girlfriend hop in a golf cart at his home at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo for a quick drive to the community's private airport. In no time, Sikora is at the controls hovering 500 feet in the air aboard his Robinson R-44 helicopter and then flying south across the Florida Keys to dinner in Marathon . About a half hour later, the couple is ordering their first course. Sikora is among an elite group of homeowners who live the aviation lifestyle in a fly-in community. Since semi-retiring and buying property at the...

8/11/2016 @ 1:58 PM - Brian Boero from 1000Watt has alluded to a theme in previous writing (I cant remember the exact post though to link to): The post-internet-enabled real estate experience is worse than before. He mentioned that again on an Inman Connect panel I saw last week in San Francisco.  Greg picked up on it as well . There are two big components to the real estate experience”: the search process, and the transaction (which Im not discussing in this post). Prior to the internet, your search experience was either walk/drive around town and look for lawn signs or, talk to an agent who knew everything on the market. You may have looked at several homes your agent...

8/11/2016 @ 1:26 PM - SAN FRANCISCO -- Three years ago, Craig Cheatham of broker network The Realty Alliance announced that brokers had "lost faith in the system," read out a list of grievances against MLSs and cryptically hinted at an upcoming big initiative that he said would not endanger MLSs "swimming upstream." ...

8/11/2016 @ 1:20 PM - Have a few million lying around? Well, you can now buy Rihanna's massive LA mansion Let's be honest, we all wish we could live Rihanna's luxurious lifestyle. From her impeccable fashion to her constant vacations, her life is one to be envied. The superstar recently listed her Los Angeles home on the market, and if you have a few millions lying around, you can become its new owner -- and channel your inner-Rihanna. The home, currently listed for a cool $14.59M, boasts seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms and a master suite with a double-sided fire feature. In short, the house is absolutely incredible. SEE ALSO: The 30...

8/11/2016 @ 1:10 PM - Originally listed for $4.15 million, the home ultimately sold for $150,000 less.

8/11/2016 @ 12:10 PM - Mariah Carey is the new Catwoman in all-leather, cleavage-baring ensemble try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Mariah Carey is loving showing off her super slim frame. The 46-year-old singer attended a special event for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday night in Los Angeles, sporting a skin-tight leather jacket and matching leather pants. Mariah left her jacket halfway unzipped to reveal her lacy black push-up bra, and finished the sexy look with a towering pair of lace-up heels. Getty Images WATCH: EXCLUSIVE -- Mariah Carey Debunks the Most Persistent Rumors About Her And she...

8/11/2016 @ 11:47 AM - When insurers are determining whether to cover a house, they typically require an inspector to come do a walkthrough. The checkup helps underwriters assess what level of risk theyre taking on, and to draft policies accordingly. UpGuard (n?e ScriptRock), a startup based in Mountain View, Calif., offers the digital equivalent of such evaluations for the cybersecurity market. The companys tech has two components: One that crawls the public web and appraises an organizations external digital risk factors (currently free of charge), and a second that searches inside a company to rate the quality of its internal system configurations and software (paid). The firm then spits out reports and FICO-like credit scores”--on a scale from zero to 950--representing snapshots...

8/11/2016 @ 11:16 AM - With the start of the 2016 football season right around the corner, the players are wrapping up their time in their hometowns, and are preparing to travel to the 'office.'  Otherwise known as the gym and the turf fields in the states of their teams. The players have an intense and exciting season ahead of them, and come prepared to work extremely hard. With the hard work, also comes a large pay off. Huge contracts are offered and signed every year, and millions of dollars float into the welcoming (large) arms of these hardworking players. With all of their earnings, the athletes do a number of things, the first of which is usually purchasing a large home with all of their...

8/11/2016 @ 11:03 AM - Last week was Inman Connect in San Francisco, one of the best events of the year (and no, not only for the parties). I'm writing to you from a campground in the Cascade mountains, so I'll try to wrap up a lot of content quickly ...

8/11/2016 @ 11:00 AM - San Jose, Calif. is the first city where the price of a typical home is greater than $1 million, according to data released yesterday by the National Association of Relators. The median home in San Jose is now $1,085,000--$199,400 higher than the average price of $885,600 in San Francisco, a city where homes are notorious for their high prices. Home prices rose in 83% of cities across the U.S. in the second quarter, representing a 4% decline from the first quarter when 87% of metro areas reported price increases, according to the data . The NRA reported that 25 out of 178 cities in the report saw double-digit price increases--a slight decline from the...

8/11/2016 @ 11:00 AM - MSP Design Development's project,  Rising Glen House, on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles has all of the features you would expect in high-end real estate, including a master bedroom that the designers claim you never want to leave.” One side of the expansive bedroom includes a modern sitting area and bar curled around a geometric coffee table.  The couch faces a partial wall and double-sided fireplace that connect to the main sleeping area Lying in bed, you look out through floor-to-ceiling windows and a terrace onto the bright lights of downtown LA.  The master suite also includes a large bathroom and walk-in closet with eye-catching contemporary design features. ...

8/11/2016 @ 11:00 AM - This 16-year-old has made millions selling rare sneakers try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){} At Miami-Dades Opa Locka Executive Airport, a man in uniform walks in from the tarmac to the marble-floored private-jet lounge and starts whispering. He's excited. He just saw the rapper Travis Scott and his entourage pull up in a fleet of cars including a red Ferrari, black Porsche, and white Beemer with butterfly doors. Seconds later, a rosy-cheeked 16-year-old who goes by Benjamin Kickz appears in the parking lot wearing a Travis Scott hat. He has big brown eyes and a face that's just starting to thin out of its baby chub, barely sprouting the first, wispy mustache...

8/11/2016 @ 10:58 AM - Republican presidential nominee cites low interest rates in calling for infrastructure repairs; Valeant investigated for insurance fraud; and San Jose becomes priciest U.S. housing market. These headlines and more from CBS MoneyWatch.

8/11/2016 @ 10:46 AM - Image via iStock Mortgages inherently deal with death. The word 'mortgage' comes from the Old French for 'death pledge,' meaning that the loan expires after being paid in full; if it's not paid, the property is taken and is 'dead' to the owner. But what if your death pledge outlives you? Who pays your mortgage when you die? Your lender can foreclose on your home if it doesn't continue receiving regular payments after you pass away, says Sara Hire, a San Jose-based lawyer who specializes in estate planning. To prevent that, you should make a plan that would pass your home down to your heirs instead. Depending on your circumstances, that may involve...

8/11/2016 @ 10:30 AM - Maybe 70 really is the new 60. More Americans are living longer, healthier lives. While thats great news, it also means that our retirement isnt going to look quite like our parents generation. Its time to rethink the traditional retirement, write London Business School professors Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott in their new book The 100-Year Life.” Life expectancy increases by two or three years every decade, according to data cited in the book. At least half of Americans born in the 1960s can expect to live into their early 90s, and the majority of children born today can expect to live 104. Graduating from school, working, and then retiring in three distinct periods...

8/11/2016 @ 10:21 AM - Home prices are continuing to rise in the United States with the median value for a single family home reaching more than $1 million in a metro location for the first time. The record prices was reached in San Jose, California, while the vast majority of metro areas seeing prices rise in the second quarter of 2016, the data from the National Association of Realtors shows. Overall the median existing single family home price increased in 83% of measured markets, with 148 out of 178 metropolitan statistical areas showing gains based on closed sales in the second quarter compared with the second quarter of 2015. Just 29 metros recorded lower median prices from a year earlier...

8/11/2016 @ 10:03 AM - Home prices in the greater Sacramento region continue to climb, driven by low inventory, according to the monthly report released Thursday by the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Sacramento. Coldwell … Click to Continue »

8/11/2016 @ 9:56 AM - Some U.S. mutual funds are boosting their performance with relatively big bets on private companies such as Uber and Pinterest, which they have been marking up at a rate far greater than the broad stock market. Relied upon by millions of Americans to save for their retirement, mutual funds emphasize that their investments in young tech companies ahead of their initial public offerings are relatively small. A Reuters analysis of fund filings and other data shows, though, that some have taken a more aggressive approach, boosting the share of these companies to more than 5% of assets and awarding them rich valuations that in some cases have helped them beat their benchmarks and peers by a wider margin....

8/11/2016 @ 9:53 AM - 'Patch Adams' to 'Aladdin', here are 10 Robin Williams quotes you need in your life try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Robin Williams was one of Hollywood's greatest and funniest voices . Two year ago today, the Oscar winner tragically passed away. From sitcoms like " Mork and Mindy ," to the touching and inspiring "Dead Poet's Society," Williams was an actor that was versatile as they come. In honor of the legend, we took a look back at some of the best moments in his career. 10.) Dead Poet's Society 9.) The Fisher King ...

8/11/2016 @ 9:38 AM - For the first time, there's a city in America where the average home costs more than $1 million San Jose's homes are historically expensive. According to data out Wednesday from the National Association of Realtors, the median price of a home in the California city is now over $1 million - $1,085,000 to be exact - the first time that the group has registered such a high figure in a metro area. All in all, during the second quarter, home prices increased in 83% of the 178 metro areas that NAR tracks, and the average price of a single-family home nationwide increased 4.9% year-over-year, to $240,700. The...

8/11/2016 @ 9:30 AM - San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates is ready to play ball for his home in Hollywood Hills West, listing the four-story contemporary for sale at about $3 million. The decorated pass-catcher bought the house two years ago for $1.66 million and has tuned up the interiors during his ownership....

8/11/2016 @ 9:19 AM - If Deep Space Industries has its way, there'll be a small robotic lander on a nearby asteroid in just three years. That's the latest phase of the California-based asteroid mining company's plan to bring about an outer space real estate boom by creating a resource supply chain off Earth. Read more...

8/11/2016 @ 9:00 AM - Paul Archuleta/Getty Images Whether you know him as Deputy Chief William Dodds on 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' or Sandy Cohen on 'The O.C.,' you soon wont be knowing Peter Gallagher  as a Brentwood, CA,  resident. In an effort to sell the lush home the actor and his wife,  Paula Harwood , listed in February for $6 million , the price has been cut twice. Its now going for  $5.25 million . Gallagher and Harwood bought the 5,225-square-foot home in 2007 for $3 million. Although parts of Bundy Drive, where the home is located, are quite busy, this area, located north of Sunset Boulevard, is private and sedate. The abundant, mature landscaping and towering trees...

8/11/2016 @ 8:45 AM - Macy's to shut 100 stores, invest in online Aug 11 (Reuters) - Macy's Inc said it would close about 100 stores and boost investment in its online operations as it seeks to turn around its business after six quarters of falling sales. Shares of the company, which also reported a smaller-than-expected drop in quarterly sales at established stores, were up 11 percent at $37.79 in premarket trading on Thursday. Total sales fell nearly 4 percent to $5.87 billion in the second quarter after falling 7.4 percent in the first quarter. Department stores have been struggling with stiff competition from online and off-price retailers. They are also under pressure due to a shift in spending patterns,...

8/11/2016 @ 8:33 AM - San Jose's homes are historically expensive. According to data out Wednesday from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the median price of a home in the California city is now over $1 million — $1,085,000 to be exact — the first time that the group has registered such a high number in a metro area. All in all, during the second quarter, home prices increased in 83% of the 178 metro areas that NAR tracks, and the average price of a single-family home nationwide increased 4.9% year-over-year to $240,700. The rise in prices also highlighted the vast shortage of homes being built, according to Lawrence Yun, the chief economist for NAR. 'However, with homebuilding activity still...

8/11/2016 @ 8:01 AM - Philadelphia ranked first with 91% of new homes having a higher Walk Score than the citywide score. In Chicago, Cleveland, St. Petersburg, Boston and Seattle, more than 80% of new homes have a  Walk Score higher than the citywide score. Greensboro, Corpus Christi, Albuquerque, Plano and Bakersfield all had the lowest percentages of walkable new home construction. New home construction doesn't always mean building farther out. Today, some builders and cities are working together to build new homes in areas with high Walk Score ratings. So which cities are building the most walkable new homes? We took a look at new homes so far in 2016 and compared...

8/11/2016 @ 8:01 AM - The number of mortgages in arrears in the UK continued to fall in the second quarter of this year and is now at its lowest level since records began more than 20 years ago, the latest data shows. At the end of June 2016 there were 92,500 mortgages in arrears of at least 2.5% of the balance, 0.84% of the total, down from 95,900 at the end of March, according to the figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). The number of mortgages in arrears was 13.4% lower than a year ago, when the total stood at 106,800, and is now at its lowest level since the run of figures began in 1994. The number of...

8/11/2016 @ 7:31 AM - This luxury compound, overlooking the Pacific on about two acres in Malibu, offers the getaway experience with a main house, two additional structures, an infinity-edge swimming pool and tennis court. Amenities such as a wine cellar, a home theater and a personal gym further the resort-style atmosphere. ...

8/11/2016 @ 7:30 AM - Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey are running neck-and-neck with their Democratic challengers, according to a new poll. Rubio is edging out Rep. Patrick Murphy 48%-45% and Rep. Alan Grayson 49%-43% in Florida Grayson and Murphy face off in the August 30 primary according to a new poll Thursday from Quinnipiac University. Pennsylvanias Toomey, meanwhile, would lose to Democrat Katie McGinty 47%-44% if the election were held today, the poll found. The bright spot for Republicans looking to keep control of the Senate in November is Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, who is pulling away from Democrat Ted Strickland, 49%-40%, according to the poll. Democrats need to pick up at least four...

8/11/2016 @ 7:30 AM - On the first day of the Democratic National Convention last month, Demetrios Marantis walked into a reception wearing jeans, an open-collared shirt, a little too much stubble and a suntan. Then he took his place on a panel alongside a member of Congress. Some of my former colleagues were looking at me like, What happened to you? Where is your tie? ” Marantis says. One colleague later told him he looked like a California hipster.” What happened to Marantis was Silicon Valley. Marantis served as the Acting U.S. Trade Representative and a member of President Obamas cabinet, responsible for negotiating and enforcing international deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership. But in 2013, Marantis left D.C. for...

8/11/2016 @ 7:24 AM - Good morning. Snapchat succumbed yesterday to a wave of online outrage about a filter that smacked of anti-Asian racism (a yellow face with closed, slanted eyes). It seems a good moment to wonder if the same outrage will ever be directed at those who are blocking Chinese investment overseas. It may be easier to illustrate the problem in three cases where U.S. interests arent directly affected. Today, Australia moved to block a Chinese consortium of state and private interests taking a controlling stake in the countrys largest electricity network over national security concerns. Last week, the U.K.s new Prime Minister slammed the brakes on a project to build...

8/11/2016 @ 7:00 AM - This is the final part of a three-part series on the business of Greek life . Most college students' budgets are fairly simple. Soaring tuition costs aside, money typically goes to rent, textbooks, food and entertainment. But a small percentage of the collegiate population is tasked with managing sums in the hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions. For fraternity and sorority treasurers, budgeting is a job that requires the ability to hunt down fellow members for dues and rent checks, document spending, and balance the budget so the chapter doesn't run out of money by the year's end. Altogether, it's a lot of responsibility...

8/11/2016 @ 6:30 AM - A little talk and a big choice. Its Thursday (unlike yesterdays goof, we double checked this time), and here are the 5 things you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. 1. Campaign 2016 The Secret Service says its had more than one conversation” with Team Trump about his Second Amendment comments. Donald Trumps campaign says he wasnt trying to incite violence, as the fury over the comments stretched into a second day. Meanwhile, Team Clinton spent the day talking too about emails. Almost 300 pages of newly released emails seem to suggest a little-too-cozy relationship between the State Department and the Clinton Foundation when she...

8/11/2016 @ 6:01 AM - Even the lawyer and her software engineer husband can't buy a home in the area due to the intensifying housing crunch that the tech boom has exacerbated Once Kate Downing and her husband Steve did the math, it was obvious that if they wanted to raise a family, staying in Palo Alto, California, was not an option. Although Steve, 33, works as a software engineer at a nearby Silicon Valley technology company and Kate, 31, is a product attorney at another tech firm, the cost of owning a home near their jobs has simply become too steep for them. If they wanted to purchase their current house - which they rent with another couple for $6,200 a...

8/11/2016 @ 6:00 AM - Imgorthand Its well known that homes in good school districts sell for a premium-and are a good investment for buyers with or without children. But just how much can you expect to top up that listing price or bid? And what are the top school districts where people  are rushing to buy homes-regardless of the cost? The economic research team at realtor.com® took up the challenge and dived into the data. The team compared homes in school districts rated 9 or 10, the highest score, by GreatSchools.org  with homes in nearby districts rated 6 or less. 'It's common knowledge that buyers are often willing to pay a premium for a home in a strong...

8/11/2016 @ 5:41 AM - Trump Tower climber wanted meeting with the presidential candidate try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-2").style.display="none";}catch(e){} A man captured after attempting to scale Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan Wednesday apparently made the climb to deliver a message to Donald Trump himself. In a YouTube video posted Tuesday, a man who resembles the climber said he wanted to "seek an audience with Mr. Trump" about "an important matter." The climber, who goes by the first name Steve and is from Virginia according to a police source, was grabbed and hauled into the skyscraper by law enforcement at the twentieth story about two hours after the spectacle...

8/11/2016 @ 5:41 AM - Stamp duty change is more of an issue for the prime central London sales market than the UK leaving the European Union, new research suggests. However, the vote to leave the EU has created a backdrop of short term uncertainty that is affecting behaviour in the prime central London property market. As a result prices are now down 1.5% compared to a year ago and the number of new prospective buyers has fallen by 6.2% over the same period, according to the latest index from real estate firm Knight Frank. The index report also shows that the number of exchanges, including new build properties, fell by 10.5% in the first half of 2016 but the number of...

8/11/2016 @ 4:51 AM - Palo Alto officials will survey the community in coming weeks for their thoughts about second dwelling units.

8/11/2016 @ 4:49 AM - Roughly 9 percent of all owners of affordable homes in Menlo Park refused to comply with rules of the city's Below Market Rate (BMR) program last year, according to a new city report.

8/11/2016 @ 4:47 AM - The mixed-use development at 429 University Ave. will have just one more shot to gain approval from the Architectural Review Board before it goes to the City Council for a final yea or nay. Property owner Elizabeth Wong called the application process 'unfair' and said she has modified the project eight times since 2011, by her count.

8/11/2016 @ 3:42 AM - A new report calls on the government to undertake real reform to tackle the housing shortage in the UK and in particular to abolish the stamp duty payable on home purchases. According to the TaxPayers' Alliance successive governments have avoided meaningful reform, instead focusing on tinkering around the edges which has only served to worsen the situation and drive up prices. It says that recent tax changes will drive up rents and the recently implemented 3% stamp duty additional homes surcharge and new restrictions on finance cost relief will also advantage richer prospective buyers at the expense of poorer tenants. The TPA says stamp duty is an unfair tax which stops people from buying their own home,...

8/11/2016 @ 2:53 AM - UK house price growth, especially in London, is slowing after the historic vote to leave the European Union, according to the latest data from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The monthly report from RICS posted the lowest survey reading in three years in July. Just 5% more respondents nationally saw a rise rather than fall in prices, down from 15% the previous month. This downward trend that is evident across the UK and the London price indicator remains more downbeat with net balance of -33% which is broadly consistent with an outright drop in prices in the capital but not quite as sharp as that reported in June. The report also says that as price growth...

8/11/2016 @ 2:41 AM - Michael Kors spring/summer 2016 Luxury Dailys live news from Aug. 10: Neville Jacobs turns author with photography book Designer Marc Jacobs' Instagram-famous pup Neville's photogenic qualities are being documented in an upcoming book release. Click here to read the entire article Waldorf Astoria opens in redeveloping San Francisco neighborhood Hilton's Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts is banking on the increasing desirability of San Francisco's Transbay neighborhood for affluent travelers with the opening of its latest property. Click here to read the entire article Sturia makes US debut with haute couture caviar France's Sturia is looking to disrupt...

8/11/2016 @ 2:19 AM - Edinburgh, Bristol and Brighton are the best university cities to invest in student property in the UK, with Oxford further down the list in fifth place and Cambridge seventh. The research from real estate agent Chestertons takes into account a range of factors including average cost, rent charges and growth in house prices and rates each city out of 10 with the top scoring 8.3, 7.9 and 7.8 respectively. Reading was not far behind with 7.7, then Oxford with 7.5, York with 7.1, Cambridge and St Andrews both on seven, and Southampton and Warwick, both on 6.6 making up the rest of the top 10. Aberystwyth in west Wales, Liverpool and Lancaster came out as the least...

8/11/2016 @ 2:00 AM - So, you're thinking of fixing and flipping that 1920s shack you found in Oakland for $250,000? Think you're gonna turn a big profit on that flip and cash in like they do on TV? Think again ...

8/11/2016 @ 1:34 AM - Intel announced its intention to acquire Nervana Systems on Tuesday for around $400 million, adding another artificial intelligence startup to its portfolio. Nervana Systems has been in business for two years, offering a full-stack, cloud-based machine learning platform, called Nervana Cloud. It also built a framework for AI, called Neon, which uses the Python language and provides a set of libraries for AI developers. See Also:  Intel readies chip to rival NVIDIA for machine learning In 2017, the team plans to launch the Nervana Engine, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Both sides say the Nervana Engine is still an active project. Intel is giving Nervana a lot of space to...

8/11/2016 @ 1:31 AM - Filed under: Savings Experiment , Finance When it comes to the qualities it takes to become "financially sexy," several personal finance bloggers have already weighed in. One example is a blog post written by Shannon of Financially Blonde . According to Shannon, a good credit score and a savings rate of at least 15 percent are the biggest indicators of a financially sexy person. J. Money from Budgets are Sexy wrote a post on the topic as well, citing good credit, a solid savings rate above 15 percent, an emergency fund, and very little debt as the top qualities of a super sexy, fiscally responsible person. But I...

8/11/2016 @ 1:00 AM - Erin Craig and Rich Dvorak knew it was time: Their grown daughter, who has severe disabilities, needed her own home. But where? … Click to Continue »