Spec houses rarely earn love letters. In Los Angeles, the term alone can conjure rows of indistinguishable boxes—veneered in “modern farmhouse” white, destined for fast flips, fated to vanish from memory the moment the escrow closes. Yet contractor Justin Krzyston has learned to treat that reputation as an opening gambit, not a verdict. Why bemoan blankness when you can treat it as pristine canvas? Krzyston, founder of the boutique construction firm Stonehurst, proved the point while re-imagining singer-songwriter Adam Lambert’s Sunset Strip hideaway, now on the market for $7,375,000. The three-story house was delivered, like most upmarket specs, in turnkey…

Pink is a color most people associate with femininity, makeup, and Barbie, especially the Barbiecore decorating trend. But for many newly divorced women, it’s becoming the color of liberation—at least according to a viral Threads post by the co-founder of Fresh Starts Registry, Olivia Howell. Just one sentence long, it has been viewed more than 395000 times: “No one tells you that starting over means crying at HomeGoods because you can finally buy the pink towels he hated.” While it’s clear that this seemingly minor act of buying colorful towels is relatable, its meaning goes far beyond decorating trends. Pink…

New York City’s Brooklyn Shipyard was once known as the “Can Do Shipyard,” based on its reputation for rapid ship production and repair during World War II. Pennsylvania’s Bethlehem Steel forged steel girders used in erecting the Golden Gate Bridge and Empire State Building. Kansas City, Kan.-based Fairfax Industrial District was where World War II B-25 bombers were cobbled together. And Pittsburgh, Pa.’s Hazelwood Green steel mill stood as a powerful 20th Century symbol of the city’s industrial brawn. Today, these once-humming industrial complexes have seen remarkable comebacks and have become vital cogs in their cities’ respective economies. The roles…

If you’ve shopped for appliances in the last two decades, you’ve probably seen the yellow Energy Star product stickers showing your estimated electrical costs for using it. Maybe they helped you select one clothes washer over the other or narrowed your selection to three refrigerators from six. Other products that use gas or electricity, like water heaters and light fixtures, or that impact a home’s energy efficiency, like windows and insulation, can also be Energy Star certified. This voluntary public-private partnership may be eliminated in a federal restructuring, and feelings among industry professionals about that are mixed. Program Recognition “Energy…

Shares of Vinpearl JSC—the hospitality arm of Vietnamese billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong’s Vingroup—soared on the first day of trading, giving the company a valuation of 153.3 trillion dong ($5.9 billion) and making it one of the largest publicly traded stocks in Vietnam. Vinpearl offered 1.79 billion shares at 71,300 dong apiece in its IPO, which was well-received by investors. The stock climbed 20% to 85,500 dong, hitting the upper limit allowed by the market regulator. Benefiting from the tourism boom in the country, the company’s net profit jumped oiver 280% to 2.6 trillion dong in 2024 as revenue climbed 55%…

For many, skyscraper penthouses still rule property fantasies—those cloud-brushed aeries where glass walls miniaturize whole cities. But in mountain towns, seaside hamlets and centuries-old villages, the penthouse sits closer to earth yet no less aloft in spirit. Top-floor suites hover over white-sand crescents, cobalt horizons and weathered steeples, trading vertigo for clarity. The panorama slips in unbroken, a full-circle sweep of sky and landscape. Sometimes 60 feet is all you need to feel unmoored. Height, after all, is a relative concept – measured as much in perspective as in meters. Here’s a look at five properties that prove lower heights…

Across the country, the essential workforce is being pushed out of affordable housing options. To work in a community, essential workers frequently have to purchase housing so far out that it takes hours to commute back and forth every day. In some places, these lower paid workers resort to living in cars to stay close and to not take on the burden of a housing payment that is continually escalating, along with the insurance and taxes associated with it. “People need to live near where they work and that is everyone across the economic spectrum – teachers, government, they shouldn’t…

Lyon Investments—controlled by the Widjaja family, among the wealthiest clans in Indonesia—raised its offer price for Sinarmas Land by 21% amid criticism from minority shareholders that the original bid to take the company private was too low. The latest offer announced on Saturday values Sinarmas Land—which owns some of the prime office buildings in Jakarta including the 48-story Sinarmas MSIG Tower—at about S$1.6 billion ($1.2 billion). As Lyon Investments increased the offer price to S$0.375 each from the original offer price of S$0.31 each that was made in late March, the closing date for the offer has also been extended…

Ken and Kathy Granacki are doing retirement their way. In their early 50s they decided to leave Bend, Oregon. For years, they had lived and worked on a 10-acre spread there, operating a dog kennel and grooming facility. They sold the property at Bend’s sky-high prices and moved (along with their three white Samoyed show dogs, Howdy, Gator and Rumor) to a boat, a spacious 64-foot-long Grand Banks trawler. Then, they began slowly working their way up and down the East Coast, asking themselves whether a port-of-call or someplace near it might be the ideal place to retire. Last year,…

In a competitive market, it can take the right strategy to find the best opportunities. In addition to public listings, you might look for properties that are off market. While these deals may require having the right connections or carrying out additional research, they could also come with less competition, better pricing, and more flexible terms. You could find an opportunity to add value to a property, improve its operating efficiencies, or reposition it in the market. Consider these guidelines as you look for off-market real estate opportunities in your local area. 1. Build Relationships with Brokers The right investment…