Another DREAM HOME has been listed, this time in Palm Springs, California.

"The Elrod House" situated at 2175 Southridge Drive in Palm Springs is for sale at $13,890,000.

Measuring almost 9000 sq ft, this 5-Bed 5-Bath Palm Springs iconic home, designed by architect John Lautner, was built in 1968 for interior designer Arthur Elrod.

The home features some unique design elements like two 25-foot-wide hanging glass curtain walls that that retract to open the living room to the outside at the touch of a button. 

The current owner purchased the property for $5,5 Million in 2003 so the current list price of over $13 Million is a whopping increase - but who knows what this incredibly unique home will fetch in this market.

   
(Listed my Matt Tapsoctt of Expoint Realty, Palm Springs)

I was interested to read about CreditKarma.com, an online company that supplies registered users with their credit report and credit scores for free.

Unlike other companies that supply credit reports that advertise free reports but actually end up charging for their services, CreditKarma.com is truly free for consumers.

The company (founded in 2007) is funded by its advertising revenue and in turn is able to offer users free credit reports and scores.

This is a win for consumers who up until now had to pay about $15.95 (or more) to receive their credit report and score directly from the credit reporting agencies; Experian, Equifax and Transunion.

My biggest concern is that a user needs to provide his or her Social Security Number (which makes sense) ..... but I'm not convinced about the security and privacy offered by the CreditKarma.com once they receive one's Social Security Number.

The website currently boasts 800,000 registered users so I was curious if any ActiveRainers have had any experience with this site.

Finally, the City of Beverly Hills has joined the City of West Hollywood in banning the declawing of cats.

This week the Beverly Hills City Council voted 5-0 to approve the declawing ban except in the case of medical emergencies. The City of West Hollywood instituted the ban back in 2003. The City of Santa Monica has recently voted 5-1 to adopt the ban.

What surprised me was that the California Veterinary Medical Association opposed the ban, claiming "The decision to declaw a cat should be made by the owner in consultation with their veterinarian."

Last month the Malibu City Council voted against a motion for a citywide ban.They did however adopt was a Resolution opposing declawing, but I think they did not go far enough!

What also surprised me was that the California Veterinary Medical Association opposed the ban, claiming "The decision to declaw a cat should be made by the owner in consultation with their veterinarian."

Time Magazine has published a list of "50 of the Best Inventions of 2009".

I think that one of the most exciting products is the new Powerhouse Solar Shingle from the Dow Chemical Company.

The Solar Shingle is designed to be integrated into rooftops with standard asphalt shingle materials.

According to Dow's website "Roofing contractors won't need any particular knowledge of solar array installations, and installations should be quick because conventional roofing shingles and Solar Shingles can be applied at the same time".

The company plans to start selling the shingles next year and expects to earn as much as $10 Billion by 2020.

What's exciting for consumers is that these shingles are expected to cost 10%-15% less than traditional solar panels and will be cheaper and quicker to install. They're also more aesthtically pleasing.

Porsche - It's true .... Porsche has launched a 4-door sedan called the Panamera.

I was surprised by the success of the Porsche SUV - the Cayenne - which was launched in 2003.

The Porsche Cayenne was not a particularly handsome looking SUV .... and it's interior was not the most practical with a limited cargo area. Yet the Cayenne sold well. (I still can't understand if the badge is what sold the SUV or the actual styling, engine and features).

So it will be interesting to see how the market responds to a 4-door Porsche sedan.

Personally, the whole thrill of a Porsche was the tight, responsive drive characteristic of the selfish 2-door version.

In July and September of this year I blogged about Nicolas Cage selling his Bel Air Mansion for a hugely reduced price. 

The property located on Copa De Oro Road in Bel Air has been in escrow since the begining of October and the CLAW MLS indicates the agent is "Looking for Back-ups".

Today News comes out of New Orleans that Cage has lost not one, but both of his homes in New Orleans in a foreclosure auction held yesterday.     

Both properties have been purchased for a total of $4.5 Million by Regions Bank, his lender. Apparently no-one bid against the bank.

The City of New Orleans will receive almost $152,000 in unpaid property taxes as a result of the foreclosure.

Now Nicolas Cage is suing his ex-business manager, claiming "he (the business manager) lined his pockets with several million dollars in business management fees while sending Cage down a path to financial ruin."

The facts should emerge in a hearing scheduled for February 2010, but one can't help questioning whether Cage isn't personally responsible for his financial predicament considering he purchased 15 personal residences (including two castles in Europe), a Gulfstream jet, 22 motor cars and 4 yachts.

The Famous (or infamous) Sunset Strip in West Hollywood is about to receive a $6.5 Million facelift after more than 75 years of use - $5.4 Million in city funding and $1.1 Million from the federal stimulus package.

Sunset Blvd is a major arterial street serving more than 60,000 commuters on a daily basis.

The Sunset Strip Beautification project which includes repaving the street, repairing sidewalks and adding landscapes and medians, is expected to take six months to complete and will commence in January 2010.

I'm excited about this project because the strip is an integral part of the Los Angeles.

Many well-known clubs and bars are situated on this part of Sunset Blvd, some with good stories, some with bad ....

but whatever the case may be, the 'Sunset Strip" is always bustling, always busy, and an exciting place to see and be seen.

The Washington Post has published an article stating that the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington has threatened to stop social services for those in need if the city doesn't change a proposed same-sex marriage law.

In terms of a bill headed for a D.C. Council vote next month, churches would not be required to perform same-sex marriages but they would have to obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against gays and lesbians. This sounds decent and "Christian" to me.

But the church is worried it may be forced to extend employee benefits to same-sex married couples. This doesn't sound fair nor "Christian-like" to me.

In effect the church is playing politics and using the homeless as pawns in it's Washington power play.

I believe that in such a case the church should loose it's tax-exempt status as it discriminates who it will assist based on religious beliefs.

Susan Gibbs, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese said: "The city is saying in order to provide social services you need to be secular. For us, that's really a problem."

I find this statement unbelievable ..... and wonder if Jesus would have said the same thing!

It's my opinion that the West Hollywood condo market is improving!

This month there have already been a healthy number of closings with two units selling above the magical $1 Million mark and there have also been a few units in the popular price range of $600,000 - $700,000.

1100 Alta Loma Rd - $1,775,000 (Listed at $1,995,000)

8703 West Knoll Dr - $1,100,000 (Listed at $1,200,000)

935 Westbourne Dr - $678,500 (Listed at $724,000)

1010 Curson Ave - $640,000 (listed at $674,900)

8121 Norton Ave - $612,500 (Listed at $699,000)

It's noteworthy that 33 of the 159 units currently listed For Sale are above $1 Million ..... representing 21% of active listings in the area.

(Statistics are obtained from The CLAW MLS and are deemed reliable but are not guaranteed)