HotPads Daily :: The Official Blog of HotPads.com

Hot Pads: Haunted Castle Edition

As jack-o-lanterns and spider webs adorn the homes in Georgetown, we here at HotPads are gearing up for Halloween weekend as well.  One such instance is this great (and spooky) article over at WebUrbanist featuring "10 of the Most Chilling Haunted Castles in the World."  One of the castles jumped out at us because, we've already spotlighted it here!

As you may recall, the Belcourt Castle boasts 10 bedrooms, 7 full bath, and 4 half baths and is truly a beautiful estate:

 

What you may not know is that the Blecourt Castle was bought in 1956 by the Tinney Family (for $25,000). The patriarch, Harold, was said to adore his castle, so much so that he decided to stay there in his afterlife. 

 

Tourists flock to the Belcourt Castle, not only to look at the architecture and artifacts, but also to take candlelit ghost tours of the premise.  So, if you don't mind a friendly ghost or two, this is the home for you!  See this home for sale in Newport, RI here: Belcourt Castle!

"Top 10 Hottest Guy Cities"

Fox News did an interesting piece today where they tried to come up with the 10 cities with the "hottest guys."  

While tastes obviously differ from person to person, they started with the assumption that women all look for a few 'key qualities' like "love, mutual attraction and personality" but also want "intelligence, good health, emotional stability, ambition and industriousness, and good financial prospects."  With that in mind, they analyzed census data that included lifestyle factors and health surveys, along with education and average income.

Let's take this survey with a grain of salt, but, all you single ladies may be interested in these "Top 10 Hottest Guy Cities."  

10.Los Angeles, CA

9. Salt Lake City, UT

8. Provo, UT

7. Denver, CO

6. Bridgeport, CT

5. San Francisco, CA

4. Fort Collins, CO

3. Cambridge, MA

2. Boulder, CO

1. Bethesda, MD (- A wonderful suburb of Washington, DC!)

A lot of the reasoning behind these top choices seemed to have a lot to do with a low occurrence of heavy drinking and smoking, plus a good amount of higher education and competitive salaries.  While it would be interesting to see which cities ranked highest in the purely physical attractiveness scale, it's a place to start!

Hot Pads: Georgetown's Evermay

This home for sale is the first one that I've written about that I have actually seen before!  Located right here in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC, this 9 bedroom, 11 bath room home is priced at a cool $39.5 million- listed for the first time in 85 years!  

"Evermay" is a historic estate set on 3 1/2 acres of land, overlooking Rock Creek Park and with clear sites of the Washington Monument.  (Read about its history here)

This federal style home built in 1801 is "classic Georgetown" with subtle colors, rich wood, and an inviting feel.

Do you like entertaining?  Well, I hope you like cooking too, because this house can accommodate 40 people in the dining room alone... and parking for 100 cars!  And, like all great entertaining houses, it features a gorgeous, light-filled ballroom. 

And a backyard this size in Georgetown? Take it from me and my 5x7 sloped 'brick thing'... this is unheard of!  

Plus, this house is only 8 blocks from HotPads HQ, so you can drop by for a happy hour every week!

View more photos of this magnificent estate or search for other homes for sale in Georgetown!

Hot Pads: Hidden Hills

Seeing fantastic homes for sale and apartments for rent is just part of the job here at HotPads.  When a particular property resonates with a HotPads team member, I usually highlight it here on the blog.  I always agree that the properties are spectacular, but this 6 bedroom/ 10 bath estate in Hidden Hills, CA just might be my dream home.

It has the unbelievable pool complete with waterfalls, rock, and a grotto area:

It has all the activities you could want- pool, foosball, ping pong, volleyball, shuffleboard, and a fully-equipped gym:

 

It has the indoor hot tub/ whirl pool and a separate spa room:

It has the huge wine cellar and the huge library (complete with ladder- I've always wanted one of those):

And finally, it even has the outdoor seating area with comfortable chairs, a stone fireplace, and huge flat screen.

See the rest of the unbelievable photos of this great $10.8 million listing.

 

Hot Pads: The Mediterranean in Miami

It only took a few minutes of casually flipping through some of my friend's photos from her honeymoon in the Mediterranean last night to decide that it was certainly on my list of "places I need to see."  But then, this morning, I came across this home for sale in Miami, FL- the spitting image of the hotel she stayed in!

From the beautiful white columns and arches with well cared for grounds...

to the gorgeous sitting areas with amazing views.

It even has the same unbelievable infinity pool seemingly flowing into the water.

And I just love this type of housing plan with the courtyard in the middle:

 

While I know that this isn't the Mediterranean, at least you can get the feel of it in the easily accessible US of A!  Check out this great property here: 8 bedroom, 12614 sq ft water front home

Can't afford this price tag?  No worries, we have plenty of great vacation rentals in Miami!

"The Next Youth-Magnet Cities"

The Wall Street Journal had an interesting article on Wednesday about "The Next Youth-Magnet Cities."  They asked a panel of experts which cities they thought would "emerge as the hottest, hippest destinations for highly mobile, educated workers in their 20s when the U.S. economy gets moving again." Their findings were comprised of large cities, as the youth of today are drawn to the cities with strong economies and 'quirky' cultures.

1- Washington, DC

We here at HotPads knew DC was cool even before Obama was elected, but DC has seen a surge in popularity in the 18-29 age group.

Government jobs, consulting, and international businesses are thriving here, as well as the non-profits.

Mix in the museums, jazz, culture, and DC's status as the power-center of the free world, and it really is a great place to live.  

Find apartments for rent in Washington, DC

1 (tied)- Seattle

Tied for first place is another great city on the other coast: Seattle.  Seattle has a great culture with rugged outdoors activities, cool music, and a thriving high-tech sector.  

With unemployment at the relatively low 7.7%, there are still industries experiencing rapid growth, like biotechnology.  Those involved in the music industry and interactive media also find that Seattle is a great place to lay down roots.

Find apartments for rent in Seattle, WA

3- New York City

This hidden gem of a city was not as affected by the financial crisis as initially predicted and still maintains its popularity with the younger crowd. Officials claim that its high 10.3% unemployment rate must be taken with a grain of salt, as it also factors in the number of job seekers who still find themselves drawn to the big city. 

And it's not just all about Manhattan anymore. The other boroughs are really taking off, most notably Brooklyn.  Brooklyn is attracting more and more young people with its vibrant and hip culture, not to mention its more affordable rates.

Find apartments for rent in NYC

4- Portland, OR

Portland is one of those cities that just has the 'coolness factor'.  They have the mountains and parks and the laid back culture that goes along with it.

The downtown area is contained by an urban-growth boundary meant to contain suburban sprawl, and the rise of eco-friendly firms and green building appeals to the environmentally conscious.

Find apartments for rent in Portland, OR

5- Austin, TX

Austin, TX is definitely near and dear to the heart of HotPads and definitely a favorite.  With the great live music scene, job opportunities, and low cost of living, Austin is attracting more and more of the nation's youth.  

Plus, it is the state capital and home to the enormous UT campus... what more could you want?

Find apartments for rent in Austin, TX