The new b5media business channel blog, The Daily Blend, has some evidence that we are possibly entering a recession.  Jennifer Heigel writes that Portland, Oregon restaurants are seeing a decline in patronage.

Baby boomers nearing retirement might be “practicing” not going out as much.  And we who have lived through several recessions know that prices are not going down.  This decline in business with upscale restaurants, like the decline in sales seen at Starbucks recently, are an indication that people are holding on to their discretionary income, waiting to see what will happen to the economy.

“Recession” is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If people think prices are going up and the economy is going down, then they behave in a certain way, causing prices to go up and the economy to decline.  Hang on to your hats (and your coffee cups); it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

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I refuse to fly into/out of O’Hare (AKA O’Hell) Airport. Living in Iowa, it is almost impossible to travel anywhere without going through ORD but I can usually find a way around it. O’Hare is listed by “Sleeping in Airports” as one of the worst in the world, along with Bombay, Cairo, Delhi, and Jakarta (Indonesia). Quite a distinction, I’d state.

Jean Mercedes, at Doing Business Abroad, recently talked about London’s airports. If you are planning to travel to England, read her post.

By the way, if you’re traveling and forced to sleep in an airport, here are some tips from Sleeping in Airports.

Tags: airports, baby boomers, doing business abroad, Jean Mercedes, O’Hare Airport, ORDk

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Jennifer Hoffman is burning up the blogging world in her new post at My Organized Biz.  She’s asked us b5media bloggers to comment on simplicity.  Here’s my contribution:

I’m a firm believer in the “KISS” principle - that’s “Keep it Short and Easy.”

Henry Thoreau stated, “Our lives are frittered away by detail; simplify, simplify.” And Einstein said, “Things should be made as easy as possible, but not simpler.”

In business, this principle is of primary importance. I’ve seen far too many business owners try to over-complicate their businesses, and their lives. For example, in putting together a business plan, they spend a lot of time and money buying business plan software, and agonizing over the details. Then they take their 40+ page business plan to a bank, only to find out that the banker wants to know only two things:

1. How much money do you want?

2. How will you pay it back?

They could have answered these questions with a one-page business plan. The simplest solution to a problem is usually the best. It’s also usually the shortest distance between here and there. Working on the KISS principle can help your business, and it can also make your personal life a lot easier.

Tags: baby boomers, Business Plan, Einstein, KISS principle, simplicity, small businesses, Thoreau

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In the last quarter of 2007, many economists have been speculating about the US recession. Their predictions were often dismal, going so far as to state that it will be worse now than it was in the 1930’s. The public’s response? Probably to panic, hold onto their jobs, and pray that they don’t get laid off as a result.

If you’re trying to wrap your head around this whole recession issue, here are some great places to start:

Recession is here - economists from CNN Money

Surviving the 2008 recession from Scobleizer, which also gives us What to Do if You’re Laid Off in 2008 recession

Some financial advice on What to Do During a Recession from Blueprint for Financial Prosperity and 5 Ways to Recession-Proof Your Life from MSN Money

Select a Recession-Proof Career by Pinny Cohen

Tags: recession, US recession

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Filed under: Estates

The Flushing, Queens area of New York is getting a bunch of high-end condominiums. The Sky View Parc will include three towers so far and the plans of developer Jason Muss call for six towers total with 1,100 homes. The bottom floors will be given over to a mall’s worth of retail space which might end up including huge chains such as Traget, Home Depot, Staples and Bed, Bath and Beyond. The complex is across from Citi Field, the new home to the Mets as of 2009. The first condos went on sale last month and sell are priced between $395,000 and more than $2 million. The developer reports that of the first 160 apartments, more than 50 have been sold. Move-in is scheduled for July 2009.

[via AMNY]

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Filed under: Estates

Like me, the Real Estalker Mama has a weakness for gawking at truly outlandish homes. And he unearthed a doozy. La Reve, the home of Hubert and Norma Humphrey in Cumming Georgia has just about everything you could think of. Private bowling alley? Check. Golf course? Yup. How about a huge move theater, a complete gym, massage room and a toy train room. The motion picture is a replica of Atlanta’s Fox Theatre and the train room is a replica of the old Central Georgia Railroad from Atlanta to Macon to Savannah that Hubert Humphrey worked on for 17 years as a train conductor.

This home is another in the long line of what I call Xanadu homes, the ones where someone spends a great deal of cash constructing a home of epic proportions and then finds it a tiny unlivable. This one is approximately 47,000 square feet on 90 acres and is a stunning monument to excess. There are 82 rooms, two elevators and 62 TVs. The grounds include a heated swimming pool, pool house, spa, private playground, stables, tennis court, formal gardens and a guest home. At $45 million this is easily the most pricey estate in Georgia. As the Atlanta Constitution noted, it might be a while before this one is sold, homes of this magnitude often sit on the market for a while and even though the home may well be worth the price, finding someone willing to pay it will be a challenge.

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Continue reading La Reve, Estate of the Day

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Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

From Berg Properties Huge Time Listings:
–Eddie Van Halen and his brother, Alex Van Halen, have sold a home in the gated Summit neighborhood (where Britney Spears lives) in Beverly Hills for an undisclosed price expected to be in the $2 million and $3 million range (it had been on the market for $2,200,000). The home was the home of their mother who died in 2005.
–A vacant, 2.08-acre lot in Pacific Palisades area that was once was owned by Michael Keaton sold for $7.8 million.
–Actor Jesse Metcalfe has sold his home in the Hollywood Hills which was listed at $1.495 million for an undisclosed price.
–via the NY Times, Musician Duncan Sheik’s Tribeca loft, shown above, is on the market for $2,850,000, down from $2,925,000 (he purchased in 1999 for a tiny over $850,000). The loft is currently configured as a one-bedroom, one and a half bath unit with a soundproof recording studio. He’s selling the unit, because he would like his home to be solely his home, and not also the place where he also works. The listing is here.
–Purchase price revealed, Tobey Maguire paid an even $10 million for nearly an acre in Brentwood.

From the Wall Street Journal’s Private Properties:
–Julio Iglesias, who recently tore down his home in Indian Creek Village, Florida to build a new Spanish-style hacienda has picked up a place to hole up while he’s waiting for his new home to be completed. He purchased a four-bedroom home for $7 million in the same community.
–A Greenwich, Connecticut house that once belonged to cosmetics queen Helena Rubenstein and was most recently renovated by Sheryl Leach, the creator of Barney the purple dinosaur, has been sold. It was most recently listed at $4 million.
–A private island compound in the Florida Keys built by late Alcoa Chairman Arthur Vining Davis is for sale for $20 million. The estate is 63 acres, has a helicopter pad and runs partly on solar power.

From the International Herald Tribune’s Raising the Roof blog:
–via the Palm Beach Post, Donald Trump has lowered the price of his 6.5-acre Palm Beach estate from $125 million to $100 million.
–via the Telegraph, David and Victoria Beckham put their house in Madrid’s La Moraleja neighborhood on the market last year for

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Filed under: Estates

For the next couple of weeks we’ll be checking out some homes in the most pricey zip codes in the United States, up today, 10012. This zip code is in the SoHo area of New York City, New York. This zip code has a median price of $2,460,000 and a big appreciation rate of 508% since 1990!

We’ve spent a lot of time in this code for estate of the day features in the past because it is a celebrity magnet and home to some of New York’s most attractive real estate. Recently we covered one of the most pricey condos in the area, an apartment at 76 Crosby, a building that is home to Kelly Ripa and Mark Conseulos.

Today’s estate is in the New Museum Building on Broadway. The 4,678-square-foot loft has maple finishes throughout for a cohesive look. The space was designed by architect Alison Spear and uses the hallways as library and children’s play space. There is a big kitchen and a maple-lined central media room with a wet bar. The master bedroom has huge south-facing windows, a walk-in closet and an all-marble bath with whirlpool, separate shower and heated floors. There are three additional bedrooms and another full bath. The rest of the home includes a powder room and laundry room and the home has central air and an audio system. The historic building has doorman service, a common roof deck and storage. This home is listed at $7.995 million.

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Continue reading Most Costly Zip Codes, 10012, Estate of the Day

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Filed under: Estates

For the next couple of weeks we will be checking out some homes in the most high-priced zip codes in the United Says, up today, 11201. This zip code in Brooklyn, New York has a median price of $2,463,000 with an appreciation rate of 325% since 1990. This area offers simple access to the city and the long history of the area means that there are many old brick and stone row houses and many picturesque streets lined with brownstones.

The home I’ve chosen for this zip code is in the area of Cobble Hill. Cobble Hill is a mix of Brooklyn’s past along with trendy new shops and restaurants. The tree-lined neighborhoods are home to many older homes including this restored 19th Century landmark home. The double property includes an 1833 Greek Revival townhouse and a carriage house with parking. The main residence is located on a block of older townhouses. The carriage home, on the north side of the property is reached through the garden and opens onto a mews, lined with former stables and carriage houses bordering Cobble Hill Park.

The home has a wide double entry hall, huge front and rear parlors with 12-foot ceilings, a butler’s pantry and a sitting room. The home has been absolutely renovated but some of the charming architectural details from the home’s history remain including the marble fireplace mantles. A rear staircase leads to the garden level family rooms and massive cook’s kitchen.The third floor master suite has abedroom and bath overlooking gardens, a study and two massive dressing rooms. The fourth floor is home to another double suite with a a bath and central dressing area, laundry and storage areas, and a smaller bedroom. On the fifth floor there’s a skylit loft-like attic with four rooms. This home is listed at $7.875 million.

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Continue reading Most Expensive Zip Codes: 11201: Estate of the Day

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Filed under: Estates

There’s justice, and then there’s poetic justice. Whether or not you blame Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke for the current woes of our financial system, it’s good to know that he’s not immune from the plummeting housing market. Not at all. The Fed chief has a four-bedroom townhouse in Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Hill area that he purchased in Might 2004 — near the peak of the real estate market. He paid $839,000.

After enjoying a brief run-up in market value to over $1 million, the recession happened (and a little something with interest rates, remember that, Ben?) and now, according to estimates, the house is worth only… $840,000. Homes in Bernanke’s neighborhood seem to have peaked in value in 2005, and have since fallen — though only a few percentage points this year, down to a median of $545,000 from $550,000 in third quarter 2007.

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