HotPads Daily :: The Official Blog of HotPads.com

Real Estate Listings Hit Google Maps

Our pals in Mountain View recently launched new enhancements to Google Maps that include (drumroll, please) REAL ESTATE LISTINGS.  Users pulling up maps just need to hit the Show search options link and select "Real Estate" as a category.

These listings come from Google Base, one of the many listing distributions partners that HotPads works with to get most exposure for the apartment community managers and real estate brokers who rely on HotPads for quality leads.  So HotPads listings should appear as part of this new online tool.

The housing search process is rapidly becoming a visual, map-based medium (hence the huge success of HotPads.com) and this is an interesting step for Google, which perfected text/link searches on the web.

Jackson's Neverland Ranch Avoids Foreclosure

King of Pop Michael Jackson gets to keep his Neverland ranch after the failure to pay on his $24 million mortgage had the playland of llamas and orangutans facing the aution block.  The 11th-hour purchase of the loan by Colony Capital LLC kept Jackson from losing the 2500-acre ranch.

Jacko isn't alone in his plight, as million-dollar foreclosures abound in the current market.

Jackson no longer lives at the ranch, so he should check out the Hottest Pads on HotPads for a more modest mansion, where we have nice homes starting at just $6 million.

Foreclosures Bring Buzz & Bites

If you thought that the only bloodsuckers involved in the whole foreclosures mess were shady mortgage brokers, think again.  An apparently major problem with abandoned homes are the swarms of mosquitoes that breed in the stagnant swimming pools.

To combat the threats of West Nile and worse, ruined weekend barbecues, local authorities have used a variety of methods to combat the pests.  One innovative solution reported in the Wall Street Journal last week involves stocking pools with mosquito fish, which feed on the insect larvae.

I would think that an easier solution would be to just drain the pools.  Here at HotPads we like the fish on our plates, not in our foreclosures.

Fastest Growing Real Estate Markets on HotPads

Cnn.com recently published its list of the 10 fastest growing real estate markets where homes are expected to post price gains in the coming year.  Check out the following selections on HotPads.com and see if our foreclosure heat maps tell a more cautionary tale.

• McAllen, TX
• Rochester, NY
• Birmingham, AL
• Syracuse, NY
• Buffalo/Niagara Falls, NY
• New Orleans, LA
• Scranton, PA
• Grand Rapids, MI
• Baton Rouge, LA
• El Paso, TX

If you're not convinced that these areas are great places to buy, you can still find great apartments to rent on HotPads.

Most Ridiculous Coffee Gadget Ever

Our addiction to coffee is well-documented, and it has not gotten any better since we moved into our new office.  (We should have known that having a Starbucks in the lobby would be just as bad as having an intravenous drip installed.)

But we have to draw the line somewhere.  And that line is drawn where the Heart Beans coffee grinder begins.  This contraption, held like a baby next to your chest, grinds coffee beans to the tune of your ticker.  Luckily it's just a concept, or Doug Lewis might actually buy one.

In the meantime, we'll let the Pike's Place boys provide the fuel for the best apartment search on the web.

Thanks, Gizmodo.