Author: Roberta Murphy Thompson

Luxury Home Digest a Top Travel Blog?

Luxury Homes and Travel
October 20, 2014
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by Roberta Murphy  Imagine my surprise this morning when we   were notified that Luxury Home Digest had   been named a top travel blog in the world– albeit #87 on the list!  Though we’ve written plenty about luxury homes, luxury destinations and favored hotels, more recently we’ve warned about travel to Mexico and Egypt because of political issues and potential dangers to travelers in these locations. And advising our readers to…

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Are You Being Tracked by Google?

google Tracking
August 16, 2014
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by Roberta Murphy Lately, have been thinking about the fact that I am tracked by Google almost everywhere I go–as long as my cell phone or tablet is with me. To the left, you can see results from an amazing program I discovered yesterday at Junkee, and mental wheels are turning. Panic hasn’t set in, but that’s probably because I’m a law-abiding citizen and really don’t have anything to hide. But still…. Like most…

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The Luxury of Morphing into a Tree

A forest fed with cremated bodies.
March 27, 2014
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Instead of a cemetery with headstones, imagine a forest full of lush and beautiful trees with birds twittering above…and all fed by the ashes of our relatives. Imagine the power of just one tree. I am personally not offended and have often suggested to sons and family that my eventual remains be fed to the tomato or kale plants in a garden somewhere. Or perhaps a tree. This cremation idea from…

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The Luxury of Breathing

Dust mites on mattress
March 7, 2014
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My Dad Bob Michelson struggled with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder). He, more than almost anyone I know, understood the luxury of breathing. But so do others. Especially those with allergies to dust mites. Long ago, I was holding an open house for a lovely pool home in a gated San Marcos, CA neighborhood. Mid-afternoon, a tall German man walked in and placed a small hygrometer on the dining room…

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Obamacare and Mortgages

Home Buyers
January 3, 2014
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by Roberta Murphy This blog is supposed to be about luxury, but lately I’ve been wondering about other things: Like, will health insurance costs become a consideration in qualifying for a mortgage or refinance? Currently, health care costs are not a real consideration when lenders are considering one’s ability to pay for a mortgage. Was this another unintended consequence of Obamacare and the Affordable Healthcare Act? We have several clients…

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The Luxury of Forgiving

Luxury of Forgiving
October 12, 2013
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I’m not sure why the luxury of forgiving pulls so strongly at me this morning, but perhaps it has to do with a beautiful story shared by Gena Riede that got me thinking. It’s an account of a woman distracted by three dogs who becomes confused about her place in line at a Starbucks drive-through.  She apparently cut off another woman, who proceeded to scream obscenities at her in obvious…

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The Luxury of Wine on Tap

Wine on Tap
August 27, 2013
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Haven’t heard of wine on tap? If so, you’re not alone. The concept is still foreign to the average beverage connoisseur. In fact, if most people were to walk into their favorite bar or restaurant and notice their wine was being served through a tube, they would do a double-take. However, an increasing number of luxury restaurants and bars across the U.S. are jumping on the trend, and for good…

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Jumbo Loans Boosting Luxury Home Sales

Jumbo Loans are Back with a Bang to Fuel the Luxury Real Estate Market by Selena Cowell Is the luxury real estate market on the mend? Home sales and prices are gradually rising in those places where the wealthy would like to plant their mailboxes–such as Chicago’s North Shore, the San Francisco Bay area, the haute Hamptons and the Rancho Santa Fe and La Jolla areas near San Diego. According…

July 19, 2013
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The Luxury of Losses

Losses and Conflusion
June 11, 2013
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Losses…. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a loser when it comes to sunglasses, pens and keys. Call it distraction, absent-mindedness–or as my ex-husband and shrink used to say, “non-thinking beahvior patterns.” These are losses I’ve come to endure–sorta. But I’m the one who pays–in time lost searching and sometimes with money. But what about our government? I understand “they” operate on a grander scale and that some…

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A Just Solution for Jodi Arias

Jodi Arias
May 23, 2013
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by Roberta Murphy Let me start of by saying I am no Jodi Arias fan and I would be happy to never hear her name again as long as I live. Or see her face. So here’s my two cent solution for the judge in this case: Give Jodi the “lesser” punishment. Jodi Arias should be sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole (perhaps under supervision of…

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