Enjoy this post from one of our CB colleagues that attended Generation Blue last week..... (re-posted by Lori Arnold)

       From the day I started at Coldwell Banker Real Estate on December 19, 2011 I knew that Gen Blue was going to be one amazing event. As the rookie of the group I sat in on Gen Blue planning meetings still unsure of what to expect when we actually got to New Orleans. I did know that it was going to be unlike anything I had ever attended and I was right.

The highlight of Gen Blue for me was seeing firsthand how dedicated Coldwell Banker agents are to their careers. Over the three day experience I was exposed to stories from agents who answer to a “higher calling.” Day after day they are committed to helping people to believe in housing again. Coldwell Banker agents look beyond price tags and commission rates and offer buyers a look at the true Value of a Home.

One moment at Gen Blue completely defined this idea of agents answering to a higher calling and when it occurred I can honestly say I had goose bumps.

The story I am about to share involves an agent, Victoria Rabb of Coldwell Banker United in Pensacola, Florida, and an active duty Military family, Jared & Amy Albright. This story demonstrates the importance of the work real estate agents do every day; many are in this job for their love of helping people achieve the dream of home ownership.

Now I could tell the story, but it’s much more powerful coming from the Albrights. Take a look at what they have to say about their real estate agent:

We heard about the Albright’s story shortly after I began my career at Coldwell Banker. It was a no-brainer to invite them to be our honored guests at The Generation Blue Experience. They were delighted with the offer and told us that because they were both on active duty in the United States Air Force they had never been away on a vacation together, not even for their honeymoon!

After showing the video above at Gen Blue, our CEO Jim Gillespie welcomed Jared and Amy to the main stage where they were greeted with a lengthy standing ovation, clearly showing their gratitude for all the Albright’s and other active military personnel have done for our country.

Jim Gillespie welcomed Jared and Amy to the main stage where they were greeted with a standing ovation.

While I tried to hide the tears rolling down my cheeks I quickly realized everyone around me was wiping away tears between clapping as well. It seemed there wasn’t a dry eye in the house!

The Albright’s were extremely touched by the way they were recognized while on stage, but what happened next completely blew them away.

As they enjoyed sightseeing in New Orleans they were stopped nearly everywhere they went by someone from Coldwell Banker who recognized them. They were greeted with hugs, stories of loved ones who are also on active duty in the United States military, and even received a bottle of champagne from an agent!

Despite being on their “honeymoon,” Jared and Amy decided to spend a majority of their time with us at the Gen Blue experience. In just a few days they had become part of the Coldwell Banker family.

The Albright’s with David Marine and Lindsay Listanski at the Gen Blue closing party.

After a sad goodbye at our final night party we were delighted to run in to Jared and Amy at the airport for one last laugh and final picture together.

One last laugh and final picture together at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport

A huge thank you goes to Victoria Rabb who persevered through 628 challenging days to sell Amy and Jared’s Florida home. And a very special thank you to Jared and Amy Albright for believing in Coldwell Banker and for all that you have done and continue to do for our country.

$27 million oceanfront home in Malibu, CA listed by Chris Cortazzo

At Coldwell Banker Real Estate, we come across some incredible homes from across the globe, but this Malibu home listed by Coldwell Banker mega-agent, Chris Cortazzo, grabbed my attention from the first photo.

When you dream of heading to Southern California and living that Pacific Coast lifestyle, this is the exact home I envision myself in. Sure it’s probably not realistic for me, but hey it’s my dream. Perfectly located on the bluffs in Malibu and overlooking some of the most premium beachfront you can find is this California castle. Listed for $27 million it boasts 7 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, a 50 ft pool in the back and the interior design was done by Tim Clarke.

I love how Chris Cortazzo describes the interior in his property details on coldwellbanker.com, he says “Interior designer Tim Clarke’s coastal modern aesthetic imbues the home with warmth and livability.” I like warmth and I love livability.

Magnificent doesn’t do this place justice. I think it needs it’s own Spotify playlist to listen to while viewing the property details.

Check out all the pics and the full details on this 10,000 sq. ft. home on coldwellbanker.com.

Welcome to another week in 2012. Some of us had a three day weekend and most of the nation caught a little NFL playoff fever. But with one month of 2012 half gone, here are some real estate headlines to keep you in the know:

• The KCM Blog has a post on creating wealth through home ownership and the proof to back it up.
• Realtor.com profiles a modern fortress in today’s security conscious culture that is available for $5.9 million.
• MSN Real Estate declares “Finally a Bottom for Home Prices.”
• CNN Money calls housing “the one bailout America could really use.”
• A new study by Yahoo! find the American Dream Home is turning “green.”
• And finally, LXTV Open House takes you inside a $30 million mega mansion listed by Coldwell Banker Real Estate superstar team, The Jills.

I don’t know about you, but I love to take home tours when I’m on vacation or even in my hometown of Dallas, Texas, when I have visitors from out of town. Related side bar: For those of you who have never visited Dallas, Texas  it should definitely be on your weekend getaway list.

The Grand Trianon at Versailles. Less grand than The Palace but not as modest as the Petit Trianon, where Marie Antoinette preferred to stay,  this place is magical. Everything had this amazing tone of rusty pink, whether inside or outside. And when the wind blows while walking on the breezeway you can smell the fragrant lavender growing abundantly in the surrounding landscape.

Breezeway at The Grand Trianon

Magnificent Room in The Grand Trianon

Front view of Rembrandt's home

Getting up close and personal with the home's architecture

Hemingway’s home in Key West. Crazy to think he bought this amazing home in Old Town Key West for a mere $8,000 but then went on to spend $20,000 on an in-ground swimming pool when running water wasn’t even available in Key West at the time.

Happy New Year! As you start thinking about your goals and dreams for 2012, if one of those includes buying a new home, congratulations. It's one of those great "life adventures" that most of us look forward to as we chose a home that reflects our current lifestyle. There is a lot to think about when making the decision, so let me share a few thoughts with you about this important path you may be considering for 2012.

• Select a qualified and trusted real estate agent: At Coldwell Banker, we have a network of knowledgeable, trustworthy agents. Agents understand the local market and can help you find all the information and resources you need to get started. Researching on your own is important, and using free online tools is a great way to start, but meeting with an agent will ensure you don’t miss any important steps along the way. In fact, the next three tips were sourced from the great advice of our agents.

• Create your “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves” list: Easier said than done, right? But it’s next to impossible to find a first home with everything. You’ll need to think about your lifestyle needs and prioritize the non-negotiable home accommodations, such as a bedroom for each family member, over items you may want, but not need, such as a large master suite. Everyone’s list is different, but knowing your “must-haves” in advance will help you stay focused.

• Determine your budget: Be realistic about what is affordable. An agent can help you find comparable home prices and hone in on approximately how much the payments will be. You should also plan to get pre-approved for a mortgage. Doing this prior to house hunting will let you know how much money you qualify for, and how much you can afford. You’ll also be able to figure out which mortgage type is best for you.

• Identify the perfect “location, location, location”: Everyone has heard this phrase before, and while the surrounding neighborhood and home itself may improve over time, the physical location will remain the same. Determine in advance how close you would like to live to work, schools or extended family. A short commute to work, proximity to family or having easy access to highways and mass transit will often be items for your “must-haves” list.

Hope your 2012 is off to a good start. If you’re starting your home search in 2012, we’d love to hear what you’re doing to get the home search process started.

Image provided by Flickr user Creativity103

Real Estate is local and prices differ from market to market. Wouldn’t it be great if you could see home prices and data across markets in one place on a handy dandy map? Yeah, that’d be nice so we thought we’d create one.

Click on the map below to launch an interactive infographic to check out your state to see the NAR data for metro areas.

Does anyone love the Beach Boys as much as I do? I spent many years listening to their music, dancing with my first boyfriend to “Little Surfer Girl,” and I always daydreamed about living the beach / surfer life! As we enter the last month of summer, it seems only appropriate to discover that Beach Boy icon Brian Wilson’s former home is for sale by Coldwell Banker agent, Betty Theisen Placek, where someone will be able to live the “good vibrations” all year long! Located in St. Charles, just outside of Chicago, the home is now on the market for $1.49 million. While it’s not on the beaches of Kokomo, it is a fabulous listing with a bit of musical history to top it off.

According to the Chicago Daily Herald, Brian actually wrote and recorded most of his 1998 “Imagination” album in the home. He had a custom underground music studio built so he could have “fun, fun, fun” without bothering his neighbors, and the Daily Herald also reported that a slew of famous musicians have spent the night within these walls, including Paul McCartney, Sean Lennon and Eagles band member Joe Walsh.

Recording Studio

The space itself is absolutely gorgeous, with 6527 square feet of living space, nine fire places, five bedrooms and six baths, and not one, but two, master suites. In addition to the media room, it also has a gym, gardens, pond and a pool.

While I’m currently a California Girl, I must say that if I was living in the Chicago suburbs I would have to check the home out for myself. Wouldn’t it be nice?

Coldwell Banker agent, Sally Forster Jones, is no stranger to selling luxury properties. With over $1 billion in sales to her name, it’s no surprise that she was involved in the sale of the most expensive home for sale in the United States, the Spelling Manor.

The final sales price cannot be divulged, but the original list price for this enormous estate was $150 million. The affordability radar on coldwellbanker.com told me that it was outside of my price range, otherwise I would have made an offer.

The Spelling Manor is the home of Candy Spelling and her late husband, Aaron Spelling. The identity of the buyer has not been divulged, although Forbes and The Wall Street Journal have some speculations on who the new home owner could be.

Congratulations to Sally Forster Jones for her work on this amazing property and just goes to show you how working with a trusted Coldwell Banker agent can yield some amazing results.

For more details on the Spelling Manor sale, check out this article from Forbes.