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It’s time to take a (small) step away from Super Bowl 50 fever! There’s other stuff going on, too—and quite a bit of it involves the ever-fascinating world of real estate. From properties that come with Essence de Bovine to where to find the happiest states to live, these are the stories that scored our attention this week.
Lesson No. 1: Live in a real-life fairy-tale fixer-upper
A Czech castle made headlines when it hit the market for just $13,000. But restoring the once-grand “Games of Thrones”-like palace, just two hours from Prague, could cost buyers 10 times more. And that’s for starters. The property was listed by VIP Castle, which specializes in selling Czech castles that have seen better days—including a dilapidated 17th-century palace for more than $22,000.
The takeaway: Buyers hoping to live like kings and queens should have the home improvement budgets to match.
Lesson No. 2: Properties can come with some unexpected amenities
Jon Kohler & Associates
A cattle ranch in the Florida panhandle that recently hit the market boasts nine staff homes, a boat house, and 30,000 units of frozen bull semen, according to The Wall Street Journal. For a cool $55 million, buyers can live out their cowboy fantasies at the almost 14,000-acre ranch, which also comes with about 3,000 heads of cattle and 90 horses. As for exactly what to do with the gallons of animal spermatozoa—that’s your call.
Lesson No. 3: Californians made bank selling their homes
Who made the biggest profits selling their homes? Californians. Homeowners who sold their pads in San Mateo County last year pocketed an average of $388,000 over what they originally paid for their properties, reported MarketWatch.
The state’s pricey San Francisco Bay Area ranked second and third nationwide with sellers in Alameda County seeing prices soar 64% over what they had plunked down, reaping about $246,000 in profits. In Santa Clara County, prices were up 63%, earning sellers an average extra $315,000.
It wasn’t only the Golden State that saw the love. New Jersey’s Middlesex County, a New York City suburb, ranked fourth with homeowners pocketing an extra $92,500 due to the 52% jump. And Multnomah County, in Oregon, ranked fifth with the selling price up 49%—leading to an average $97,000 profit.
Lesson No. 4: Even the Kardashians can’t buy Anna Wintour’s good graces
Wintour, the editor of Vogue, reportedly wasn’t a fan of the Kardashians’ home decor on the cover of Architectural Digest‘s March issue. The sisters opened up their places, both decorated by celebrity designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard, for the issue. According to Women’s Wear Daily, the Editrix thought the styling “wasn’t up to snuff.”
The cover prompted mixed reactions on Instagram, including more than 7,000 likes as well as a tirade of angry responses. Guess money really can’t (always) buy you love.
Lesson No. 5: Hawaii residents are happier than everyone else
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Those lucky enough to live in the tropics (and miss Snowstorm Jonas) had sunnier dispositions than just about everyone else last year, according to recent survey. But in a surprising twist, residents of Alaska scored second, down from the top cheeriest spot the previous year. Montana, Colorado, and Wyoming were close behind on the list of the happiest states to live.
West Virginia scored the dubious honor of being the most unhappy place to live—followed by Kentucky, Oklahoma, Ohio, and Indiana.
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