Kamil Kiedrowski, Baird & Warner Real Estate Broker

09/15/2017

Formerly the "San Marino Ranch," the complex now known as the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens was built as a residence for Henry E. Huntington and his second wife, Arabella Huntington.

The building that is now the library used to be their home. Designed in 1920, by Myron Hunt in the Mediterranean Style, it houses many rare books including one of 11 vellum copies of the Gutenberg Bible. It has become a trove of many works and the collection is used to conduct advanced humanities research.

Huntington himself was one of the early figures that helped shape California history. He was one of the founders of the City of San Marino, which incorporated in 1913.

The botanical gardens on the estate grounds include a Chinese Garden, Subtropical Garden, Conservatory, lily ponds, and other a Desert Garden.

Huntington died in 1927, three years after Arabella. They're buried in the mausoleum on the property, designed by John Russel Pope. Pope would later go on to design the Jefferson Memroial in Washington D.C.

09/14/2017

Gone are the days of putting at least 20% down. There are great programs from groups like IHDA that require as little as 1% down or $1,000 for those that qualify.

The trend seems to be that more and more homeowners are buying homes for less money than they would historically be able to and those homes are appreciating faster than average.

According to Black Knight Financial Service’s Mortgage Monitor Report, 1.5 million Americans have purchased a home with down payments under than 10% over the last 12 months. This is great news for buyers as this marks a 7-year high. Many mortgage programs offered by agencies like Freddie Mac and

09/13/2017

It's no secret that I'm a sucker for modern architecture. I've already posted some amazing work by architects that make buildings that play up the beauty of the spaces they occupy. The House on the Lake by Pierre Minassian architecte is no exception.

The home has floor to ceiling windows maximizing the views of a lake and uses concrete and glass in concert creating a warm and inviting interior. Concrete is usually seen as cold and unapproachable, but I feel it works well here.

09/12/2017

“Many potential home buyers are ‘disqualifying’ themselves. You don’t need a 750 FICO® Score and a 20% down payment to buy.”
- Jonas Moe (Vice President, Ellie Mae)

The results of countless studies have shown that potential home buyers, and even current homeowners, have an inflated view of what is really required to qualify for a mortgage in today’s market. One such study by the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania revealed that many

09/12/2017

Daniel Burnham played an active roll in rebuilding the city of Chicago after the Great Fire. Together with John Wellborn Root, he created a magnificent office building called The Rookery Building in 1888 at 209 S. LaSalle St., in Chicago. The white marble was added in a redesign by another great architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, and was completed in 1907.

I like the building design for it's interior light court and the ornate moldings.

"The Rookery traces its name back to the fondness that pigeons and crows (ravens and rooks) had for a municipal structure that existed on the property years before the Rookery was built."
- Chicago Architecture Foundation

http://www.architecture.org/architecture-chicago/buildings-of-chicago/building/the-rookery/

09/09/2017

My next open house will be at this 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, quad-level home in Schaumburg. Its located at 1310 Thornwood Drive, Schaumburg. I'll be there between 3 and 5. Stop by or send someone you know would be interested!

http://kamilkiedrowski.bairdwarner.com/property/131774893/1310-thornwood-drive-schaumburg-il-60193

This beautiful home is situated on a cul-de-sac lot with a resort-like backyard! Relax on your back deck overlooking the 27' pool or enjoy a BBQ on the large paver patio under the umbrella tree. Spacious living areas with huge family room which steps down to a separate game room and storage...

09/08/2017

Just south of Miami's skyline lies one of the former residences of James Deering. The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens was originally conceived as a home that was part art gallery and part winter residence residence for Deering, a retired millionaire bachelor, on the suggestion by his doctors that he live somewhere warm to help revitalize his health.

The estate was designed as an eighteenth-century Italian villa, positioned to take full advantage of its location on Biscayne Bay. It looks best approached from the water. The rooms themselves were designed around objects that Deering and his artistic director Chalfin acquired.

The house itself was started in 1912 and finished shortly after in 1915. Deering was able to enjoy the home for years until his death on a steamship en route to United States from Europe in 1925. The estate was left to his half-brother Charles who died two years thereafter.

Eventually, Miami-Dade County purchased the villa in need of significant restoration for $1 million and Deering's heirs donated the furnishings and antiquities to allow the county to operate it as an art museum. Vizcaya began operating in 1953 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994.

09/08/2017

The experts got out their crystal balls and here's what they came up with: Mean Percentage Appreciation looks to be 5.0% over the current year according to the quarterly Pulsenomics' Home Price Expectation Survey.

But, predictions are that the appreciation will also slow down, settling in the low 3%'s by 2019.

Today, many real estate conversations center on housing prices and where they may be headed. That is why we like the Home Price Expectation Survey. Every quarter, Pulsenomics surveys a nationwide panel of over one hundred economists, real estate experts, and investment & market strategists ab

09/07/2017

Malibu has some of the coolest buildings including this hotel. The Nobu Ryokan Hotel designed by Studio PCH has everything I love about Japanese and Western architecture rolled up into a stunning package. It's a blend of traditional Japanese ryokan (inn) architecture with a Western boutique hotel vibe. And since it's Malibu, the views are to die for...

09/05/2017

Downsizing can also be "right-sizing." The fact that you have a 4 bedroom home now that the kids have moved on might mean more room, but it also means that on average you may have higher costs of upkeep, as well as, higher property taxes...

Your children have finally moved out and you and your spouse now live alone in a four-bedroom colonial (or a similar type of house). You have two choices to make: Remodel your house to fit your current lifestyle and needs Sell your house and purchase the perfect home Based on the record o

09/01/2017

The Gilded Age minted a lot of millionaires and created tremendous wealth for a small percentage of the U.S. population. Those lucky enough to benefit from the Industrial Revolution built palaces of opulence, buying tremendous swaths of land and erecting enormous residences.

One such home is the Carolands Estate. Construction was finished in 1916 and was designed to be the primary residence for Harriet Pullman Carolan and her husband Francis. Harriet the daughter of George Pullman, the railroad magnate who helped shape much of early Chicago history.

The estate sits on over 490 acres of land in California's San Mateo County (originally 554 acres were purchased) and is located at 565 Remillard Drive, Hillsborough. The American Renaissance-style mansion has a staggering 98 rooms and perhaps more surprisingly was only occupied for a little more than a year (1916-17).

It is now owned and operated by the Carolands Foundation.

08/31/2017

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) is reporting that inventory is down for the 25th consecutive month. If you've been holding off putting your home on the market, now might be the right time.

First-time homebuyers are flocking to the real estate market by the thousands to find their dream homes in order to make their dreams of homeownership a reality. Unfortunately for many, the inventory of starter and trade-up homes in the US has struggled to keep up with demand! According to the Na