by Roberta Murphy We once lived in Big Bear Lake and had a redwood-stained deck that meandered as a set of platforms through the pines. During the warm summer months, we would dine outdoors and savor the quiet setting. The only problem with those decks and the harsh winters that buried them in snow is that we had to have them refinished every couple of years. It was no easy…
How Rich Are You?
Ever wonder how your income stacks up against your neighbors? Within your geographical region? Are you part of the fabled one percent? The New York Times offers an interactive chart where you can see how your income stacks up in various regions of the United States. See the chart here.
The Luxury of Expression–and an Audience
Today, I saw two different posts on Facebook from and about two different and unrelated people. Both stopped me in my tracks and had me wondering how much I had missed in life as both an observer–and performer. They are magically and somehow connected, The first is a classic tale, the other a contemporary dance at busy LAX Airport. It doesn’t matter, the free performances are largely ignored by all.
Luxury Real Estate Market on the Rise
by Roberta Murphy We have noted a decided uptick in our own luxury real estate market in San Diego. Home shoppers from Europe, Canada, Mexico, Asia and the United States seem to have collectively decided that now is the best time to invest in coastal San Diego–in communities ranging from Coronado and downtown San Diego to La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe. Apparently, this is a…
Glowing Rocks for Luxury Homes
by Roberta Murphy Leave it to Italian designers to create the ultimate in luxury rocks for sexy lightscaping around the home. These remarkable lighted rocks by Oluce look as if they might have been swiped from the lawn of a distant planet. In reality, though, they were created by Italian designers Marta Laudani and Marco Romanelli with Massimo Noceto. Made from weather-tested polyethelene, these lighted Oluce stones glow with the…
The Luxury of Voluntary Budget Cuts
by Roberta Murphy I recently heard New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez explain how she had, after taking office, eliminated one chef, one jet and several other aircraft from the governor’s beck and call. She figured that if the budget had to be trimmed/decimated, the job started at the top. Susana Martinez is a woman after my own heart. Like the rest of us, when times get tough we shed the non-necessities…
Is Peaceful Death a Luxury?
While I thought I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die. ~Leonardo Da Vinci I’ve been haunted, disturbed and perturbed by an article I read a couple of days ago about sick babies being starved and dehydrated to death in Britain–per physicians’s orders and government encouragement. You can read the article there as I don’t have the stomach to share all the painful details here. We’ll…
Want to Live in a Most Expensive City?
by Roberta Murphy Ah… the luxury of being able to comfortably live in one of the most expensive cities in the world (so why not divide one’s time between them–just for bragging rights?:-) CNBC just released their 10 most expensive cities in the world to live where they included 200 factors such as costs for a 2-bedroom luxury apartment, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, entertainment and so on. It might come…
The Luxury of…Privacy
by Roberta Murphy Years ago, when we put our first home on the market, I insisted that the Realtor put NO SIGN in our yard. I did not want neighbors to know that we were selling or cause any disruption in our neighborhood. Our agent tried to explain the importance of a sign, but I was the incalcitrant client–and we ended up selling the home with NO SIGN. This of…
La Revolte d’ Atlas
by Roberta Murphy The luxury real estate market in Paris is beginning to bulge with inventory, as wealthy business tycoons prepare to leave France and its looming tax rate of 75 percent of annual income above 1 million euros. According to France 24 , around 400-500 residences worth more than one million euros ($1.3 million) have recently hit the Paris market–and other French cities are being affected as well. But…
