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UPDATED:  New Video from WellcomeMat Phil 

Haute Living magazine announces the release of their June/July 2007 issue, which features the venerable Donna Karan on the cover in a compelling yoga pose.

The photo was taken at the launch party for Karan’s Urban Zen Initiative, a two-week gathering in Manhattan that focused on integrating new wellness practices into the health care system.  In a like manner, the issue of Haute Living is focused on health and wellness, with features on resort Chiva-Som, and an in depth look at Canyon Ranch Living in Miami Beach.

“Having Donna Karan on our cover is an honor,” says Publisher Seth Semilof. “The editorial coverage in this issue really shows what we are capable of, and has raised the bar for future editions.” This is thanks to intriguing and insightful features on some of the luxury industry’s biggest names, such as Eva Jeanbart-Lorenzotti of Vivre, Marc Hruschka of Chopard, and Sotheby’s International Realty’s President and CEO Kathy Korte.

The June/July issue also has a strong focus on summer haute spot The Hamptons, with more than 25 pages of editorial coverage, including reader-favorite Celebrity Living.  The June/July issue also gives a look at some of the most expensive houses for sale in the Hamptons, while Haute in the Hamptons gives behind the scenes information about the East End.

“The issue is going to be everywhere this summer, as we expand our presence in Manhattan and the Hamptons,” says Co-Publisher Kamal Hotchandani. “Haute Living is growing, and the design and editorial in this issue shows that there really is no limit to what we are capable of.  Haute Living is not your typical real estate publication any longer. We are constantly striving to be the source for information about the luxury lifestyle.”
Haute Living’s June/July New York edition is available throughout Manhattan and the Hamptons, with targeted distribution throughout affluent South Florida neighborhoods, as well as at more than 100 private airports nationwide. Copies can also be purchased on newsstands throughout the city, through Amazon.com, or via the newly revamped HauteLiving.com, your new portal to the world of luxury.

Check it all out on www.HAUTELIVING.com or the Haute Blog

The Boston iPhone Campout was not too impressive this a.m. @ 7:32. Watching the newshist a.m. while on the treadmill over at the new Equinox - they showed hundereds of people standing out infront of the New York flagship Apple Store….I figured we would have some activity over at our AT&T / iPhone downtown location - but nada. Rumor has it they dont even go on sale until 6pm tonight? This true? Well, our name is on the list and we will have one here in the office as soon as they hit the shelves today! iPhone Real Estate device review coming soon….

Would you like a shiatsu massage with your new condo? How about a bone-density test?

They will mirror the medical services available at the 18-year-old, privately held spa in Tucson, Ariz. The company has a combined staff of 21 physicians and PhDs in health-related fields there and at a sister facility in Lennox, Mass. It also collaborates on some programs with the Cleveland Clinic.  Continued…

Source: Chicago Tribune

Nouvelle at Natick, a 215 unit luxury high-rise condominium community, is the focal point of an integrated, mixed-use lifestyle destination that will allow residents private access to the most sought-after retail stores, restaurants, and residential amenities in the MetroWest area. The first true urban lifestyle community in Boston’s western suburbs, Nouvelle at Natick is directly connected to the extraordinary array of 80 new stores and dining options at The Natick Collection, featuring anchors Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. It also offers unparalleled convenience to Boston and the Back Bay via one minute access to the Mass Pike.
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One of the coolest search based website out there is Properazzi.  Too bad they were not in the US (but maybe coming soon!)

In a market where most players are yet to go gold, we’ve just gone double-platinum by breaking through the 2.2 million property listings mark – and we don’t intend to stop here. Fresh enhancements to our crawling and extraction capabilities mean that we’re now able to expand both the coverage and depth of our service aggressively.

Smashing the 2 million mark puts Properazzi in the company of the “global elite” of real estate websites in this vertical market. The only real estate websites in the world that can lay claim to this level of coverage are: Realtor.com (USA) with 3 million listings, Properazzi.com (Europe) with 2.2 million listings, and Trulia.com (USA) with 2 million listings.

About Properazzi

We’re a crawler-based search engine based in Barcelona, Spain, that helps consumers find properties for sale and rent in 45 European countries and in 28 different languages. Properazzi was launched in March 2007 and is backed by Mangrove Capital Partners.

If you’d like further information about Properazzi, please get in touch.

Their slogan - Watch and be rewarded!   Hmm…maybe this is the next move for condoDomain Condo Cast Movies!  Anyway, I was checking out DWELL.com and I came across this button…so its Saturday and I clicked on it…

The basics of this concept, watch their videos from paid advertisers and they will give you points towards free magazines…not bad…

AdPerk™ recognizes that your time is a precious commodity. That’s why we’ve developed a system where you can literally spend your time (instead of your money) as payment for some pretty cool stuff.

Imagine getting things that you want, just for letting us entertain you with short video messages that you choose and that you can watch at your convenience!

Today, you can exchange AdPerk™ credits for free issues or reduced price subscriptions to magazines. You can earn a whole subscription in as little as just a few minutes.  No kidding! As time goes on, you’ll see more and more things that you can get using your AdPerk™ credits. Best of all, there’s no lengthy or invasive registration process, so you can create your own personal AdPerk™ account and start earning credits in about as long as it’s taken you to read this section. In some cases, you won’t even need a credit card!  So what are you waiting for?  It’s time to watch and be rewarded!  Visit Ad Perk

OpenHouse New York is the premiere destination for tri-state residents looking for the finest in real estate — buying, selling, improving or just dreaming, there is something for everyone.

Seattle-based online real estate brokerage Redfin said late Friday that it has stopped accepting new listings for the firm’s online real estate site. In a blog entry, the firm said that it will not accept new listing customers, due to the increase in new listings business the firm received from its expansion into Southern California and the Bay Area. The firm said that it said taking additional listings would strain its ability to offer customers great service. Redfin said it will reopoen listings on July 9th.

You gotta love New York!

Spending more than $5 million on a condo may not sound like much of a bargai
But that is just how some real estate executives are looking at a unit that just hit the market at the sold-out Mandarin Oriental, a super-deluxe condo and hotel tower set to open next year in the Back Bay.

Project executives are now marketing a $5.2 million, 11th-floor unit after the initial buyer found himself transferred by his company to New York.

And in a Boylston Street complex whose top unit fetched $14 million, some say the $5 million condo just might be a steal - literally.

“For 3,000 square feet at the Mandarin, for $5 million, it might be a bargain,” said David Costello, a top executive at ERA Boston Real Estate Group.

Bargain or no bargain, $5.2 million gets you a 3,200-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-and-half bath unit on the 11th floor, with a formal dining room, a library, a living room and an outdoor balcony.

Still, it is somewhat smaller than the typical Mandarin Oriental unit. The average, said Robin Brown, one of the project’s developers and the former general manager of the Four Seasons, is 3,600 to 3,700 square feet.

The unit has views on three sides - from the restaurants and sidewalk dining along Boylston Street to the nearby Charles River.

“You can spy on your friends eating dinner below, or look at the sailboats on the Charles by MIT,” Brown said.

We love this building.

Local Recent Posts on Mandarin Oriental Boston & BostonReb

If your boss wants to transfer you to Moscow this year, he’d better offer you a fair sum to do so - or even a downright handsome one depending on where you live now. That’s because Moscow has just been designated the world’s most expensive city for the second year in a row by Mercer Human Resource Consulting.Using the cost of living in New York as a base, Mercer determined Moscow is 34.4 percent more expensive after taking into account the cost of housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment.

“The appreciation of the ruble against the U.S. dollar, combined with ever-increasing accommodation charges, has driven up costs for expatriates in Moscow,” Mercer research manager Nathalie Constantin-Metral said in a statement.

A luxury two-bedroom in Moscow now rents for $4,000 a month; a CD costs $24.83, and an international newspaper, $6.30, according to Mercer. By comparison, a fast food meal with a burger is a steal at $4.80.

London takes the No. 2 spot, up from No. 5 a year ago, thanks to higher rents and a stronger British pound relative to the dollar. Mercer estimates London is 26 percent more expensive than Gotham these days.

Following closely on London’s heels are Seoul and Tokyo — Nos. 3 and 4, respectively — both of which are 22 percent more expensive than New York, while No. 5 Hong Kong is 19 percent more costly. Continued…

Source: CNN Money

(L2R - Tony Longo, Mark Eamer from Zillow & Nick Sudano, condoDomain)

We are off to the Space Needle soon to meet Redfin fan Cynthia Pang. All I can say is there are lots going on in Seattle, especially in the RE.TECH space! We got to see a bunch of new condo projects, hook up with Redfin & check out Zillow HQ and enjoyed a killer lunch with the guys from Zillow (Thx to Mark Eamer, David Gibbons and Drew Myers!). Seattle has been good to us. Extremely friendly and just a great group out here.

Redfin’s office was great, everyone has a bike and little dogs running around everywhere…classic dot com start-up…we loved it! Zillow was a tad different…while Rich Barton & Lloyd Frink masterfully designed mini suite’s for their corner offices on the 46th floor, the entire office was ultra cool! Floor to ceiling windows and views that went forever, 360 degrees!. Nicky snapped a quick photo on the way out (below).

So far great trip…back to Boston tonight on the REDEYE!

Nick and I are heading out to Seattle tonight for a couple meetings tomorrow and to check out some of the hot new Seattle Condo Developments also we are going to try & pop in to see our pals @ Redfin and Zillow.  Its a quick turnaround trip but any hot spots we should hit tonight? Also, any fellow Seattle urbanites shoot us an email if you are around tonight (as it is my Birthday!) and we can meet up for a few cocktails! Ok, they are fueling up the Jet now…see you all soon!

Are you a right clicka or a Mac Book Flippa?

See the famous Mac vs. PC Rap Video Here!

Thx to Drew Meyers for the find via Facebook!