Photo Credit: hb+a Architects

Hafsa Burt shared what happens when her ecologically-conscious design firm works on a food and beverages space.

Haute Design: How did the occasion arise for you to work on a space for wine and cheese? Have you done other projects for companies within the food industry?

Hafsa Burt: The client for this retail space is a sommelier and he wanted to open a store to pursue his lifelong passion and introduce imported wine and cheese to the local community. We have done at least a dozen bars/restaurants or coffee shops all over the bay area, including several pavilions for America’s Cup in San Francisco.

HD: As a designer, what are the main differences involved with working on an eating establishment versus a private residence, for example?

HB: In an establishment that caters to the public, we have to make sure the space is accessible to everybody and is safe for patrons to come in and circulate through. There’s a whole gamut of regulations that we need to look at and abide by so an establishment can open their doors to the public and members of the general public can safely and freely roam in a space. We also have to cater to branding and make sure that design addresses the brand’s individuality and the space becomes their signature.

Photo Credit: hb+a Architects

HD: What were some of the challenges involved in this project?

HB: We had a very tight deadline for this project. It was delivered and approved in under 3 weeks. We had to get several agencies to approve the work, including the Healthy Department of course.

HD: What was your favorite aspect of this project?

HB: I love it when a client's goals and visions come true and we become a facilitator of that. I would say that is my favorite part of this project, among others.

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1) Teddy Bear Tea is always a festive favorite for children, parents, and grandparents. It’s an opportunity to get dressed up, bring your favorite teddy bear, and enjoy family time in the City at the Ritz Carlton.  I always looked forward to this when our children were young. Book Early!

2) Take a day trip to Half Moon Boy to pick out your Christmas Tree. Santa’s Tree Farm is open year-round. Then lunch at the former Ritz Carlton or Half Moon Bay Brewing Co overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

3) Macy’s 32nd Annual Union Square Christmas Tree Lighting. Take center stage beneath the tree or book a hotel room across the street at the St Francis Hotel —sip, socialize and watch as the sparkling lights illuminate Union Square. Nothing says Christmas like a big light tree. And as of November 3rd book your tickets for a spin around the Union Square Ice Rink. 

4) Festive Fun at the exquisite and historic Fairmont Hotel. Gingerbread house ribbon cutting Saturday, November 27th at 11 AM. Consider booking Santa’s Suite. You’re never too young to book Santa’s Suite and dine on chocolate and candy canes. What a perfect place for Mr. and Mrs. Claus to wrap gifts!

5) The Nutcracker is also a holiday favorite. From San Francisco and Oakland to San Jose and the Silicon Valley — get your tickets to this beautiful holiday extravaganza. 

6) Cookie and ginger house decorating. This is a tradition that can be done in your own home with your family or a group of friends. This cheerful and creative tradition never gets old - and it’s perfect for everyone — young and old. 

Other Highlights

Cavallo Point Festive Traditions

Ferry Building Marketplace Holiday Events

The post Holiday Magic – Top 6 Things To Do In And Around The San Francisco Bay appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

They were hosted by Haute Living's Erik Haase. Watch the full webinar below.

Highlight quotes:

Mark Peterson: "We are about an hour and a half to two hours south of the Bay Area of San Francisco we have always been a resort or 2nd home community; 40% of our transactions involve 2nd homes. We have buyers from New York, Florida and different areas of California. We have an inventory squeeze right now. While there are certainly homes on the market for sale, buyers can't quite find exactly what they want for that price, so we really look to work with our buyers to figure out what are their priorities. It is a great market to buy right now from a macroeconomic perspective... Our area is dependent on hospitality, an industry that is hurting right now but is talking about Spring and reopening. It's actually going to be probably a good thing that people see, 'Well, this is a community that's really concerned and really good about safety'... The infrastructure, the education, the great weather year-round, the natural beauty, and the amount of space will make the Bay Area and surrounding communities always be in demand."

Alvaro Nuñez: "The market in Miami has been spectacular; we've been one of the lucky destinations. It's becoming the most desirable place, if not one of the top places, to be, and we've seen a huge demand of people coming down not just to rent but to buy, so the demand obviously has been increasing. What at the beginning of the pandemic seemed to be a huge demand for single-family homes, now we're starting to see transitioning to higher demand for condos, and this is a good thing because when it comes to the inventory, we were seeing a little bit of difficulty... Everybody wants to have a great lifestyle. Celebrities want to be in the scene. Those that don't want to be in the scene, still want to be in a place where they can enjoy the lifestyle. Miami is open, right here right now is where [and when] everything is moving."

Leslie S. Modell: "People are getting vaccinated and it's bringing the buyers back to the City. Me personally, I've had an extremely active first quarter in New York. I'm seeing buyers from all markets, from $3 million and under with first-time homeowners trying to get into this really opportunistic buying that we're in right now in New York, and then the higher levels over $4 million are doing very well as well... People tend to like to buy when everyone else is buying; it gives a feeling of comfort, but that's not when to buy. [That time] is now, when the prices are low and they are definitely moving up... New York is getting back into its groove. We're going to get the vaccine; the restaurants will be opening; we're hitting the Spring market; interest rates are very low and will probably stay low for some time. I've been very successful getting buyers off the sidelines and getting very good pricing for my sellers."

To watch more real estate webinars curated by Haute Residence, visit dev.hauteresidence.com.

Mark Peterson, Alvaro Nuñez, Leslie S. Modell

The post Watch: “Coast To Coast” Real Estate Webinar #8 By Haute Residence appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

The event was hosted by Haute Living's Seth Semilof, and it touched on the real estate industry in the San Francisco Bay Area and California as a whole. Watch the webinar below.

Register for our upcoming webinar

Tuesday, May 12th at 4PM EST/1PM PST

Luxury development 2000 Ocean creators Enrique Norten, Shahab Karmely and Edgardo Defortuna talk about the project. REGISTER: https://hauteliving.zoom.us/webinar/register/4215887787079/WN_pEnoKlLMSlCmoE1ySypE3A

Top left: Jill Levy, bottom left: Olivia Hsu Decker, top right: Michael Dreyfus, bottom right: Roh Habibi, center: Herman Chan

Highlight quotes:

Olivia Hsu Decker: "People are looking outside the major city areas. The wealthy will keep their homes in cities but will get secondary homes in open areas. The whole lifestyle is shifting from major city crowding... A positive attitude is most important. There is unemployment, worries, and deaths, but we have to stay positive and do our best... We are showing homes following the safety guidelines... In high-end, over $5 million, inventory is low. Sales for the first quarter of the year were good."

Michael Dreyfus: "Things are starting to happen. It seems like this week people are waking up a bit more... $15 million+ market is super active, the $5 million market is slow, and entry-level seems to be OK... I have seen four crashes but never been in a market where I couldn't do anything; the first couple of weeks were strange and not a good feeling... This is an easy time to burn out. I'm trying to watch my team, to pick up signs that they are working or worrying too hard."

Herman Chan: "I don't feel much of a slow down. To a certain degree, people are back in business, not wanting to wait anymore. For discretionary buyers or sellers, they can wait. But for those compelled to transact that fit into the four Ds (divorce, diapers, death and diamonds) life has to go on for them."

Roh Habibi: "It has been fun to spend time with my wife and kids. Just being able to find the silver lining, to be able to spend quality time with the family, and continue doing work and flourishing... Everybody is at home, stuck to their phone, so right now is the time to capitalize on attention to build a solid brand. Social is a great way to expand your brand, doubling and tripling down on that."

Jill Levy: "We have a trend of people from the city, South Bay and Silicon Valley to purchase second homes in Napa Valley. We have seen a spike in our markets, especially since last week once they allowed owner-occupied properties to be shown... Because of the shortage of inventory and the demand, we (in Napa Valley) have been able to maintain our pricing."

The post Bay Area Real Estate Webinar With Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Photo Credit: Ron Bird Photography

How has the luxury real estate market in your area been performing so far in 2020?

Carmel-by-the-Sea is performing really well in the $2-$3.5M segment with limited inventory and a lot of homes selling off-market before getting to MLS. The $5M+ market has been a little slow to start. As a second home market, home purchases are discretionary so buyers need to really see the property they love. Pebble Beach has been really strong for the past three years and the start to the year was a little quieter. But we’re seeing it pick back up.

Photo Credit: Ron Bird Photography

What are buyers looking for in their homes in Pebble Beach/Carmel in 2020?

People want finished homes that are move-in ready. Contemporary looks and current finishes. Coastal and airy hues and tones. Especially as a predominantly second-home market; buyers want homes that they can start enjoying right away. They don’t have the time or desire to take on a remodeling project that could take a couple of years. We are counseling sellers and working with them to get their homes as turn-key as possible. Nine out of 10 buyers don’t have the vision for seeing past sellers' personal items or envisioning how a home could be refreshed. We need to get homes ready that speak to buyers upon their first launch and debut.

Which has been a highlight sale for you so far in 2020?

We’re really just getting started with the year, and had a number of closings and a large number of homes in contract. Some fabulous properties. But our highlight thus far hasn’t been the largest sale, but more about how we’ve been able to help both sellers and buyers. One seller, we refreshed her home with Compass Concierge and had a quick sale that “changed her life." She was able to sell her property and move on to the next chapter of her life. We also have had a couple of young families move here from the Bay Area that made a conscious decision to improve their quality of life. Those are the really rewarding highlights thus far.

Photo Credit: Dana Bambace and Mark Peterson

Are there any new restaurants or other spots in your market you’ve been loving lately?

Enjoying a sunset by the firepits at Spanish Bay with the bagpiper is always a great way to wrap up a day and kick off the evening. There are so many great restaurants depending on your cravings. We’re pretty excited about a couple of market/ restaurants still being built out that showcase our region’s farm-fresh leadership for the country. Roughly 70 percent of the country’s leafy greens are grown here. We’re fortunate to have farmers’ markets seven days a week and a bounty of fresh seafood for chefs to always create seasonal menus.

Photo Credit: Dana Bambace and Mark Peterson

It’s time for spring break. What is a fun activity in your market?

We’re all about getting outside and all of the recreational opportunities. Getting out for a hike or stroll on the beach is always available. But with a little more time, we love heading down the coast towards Big Sur. The mountains are lush and green and the sand on the beaches is crystal white. After a hike, it's always fun to wrap up with a snack or drink at Nepenthe Restaurant.

Photo Credit: Dana Bambace and Mark Peterson

The post Dana Bambace And Mark Peterson Talk Real Estate And Fun Things To Do In Pebble Beach And Carmel During March appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

The event will be covered extensively by Fox Business Network and Anchor of FBN:AM, Cheryl Casone, who is taking her New York film crew to Miami's sandy beaches to interview some of the real estate industry's biggest names at the Summit.

The panelists will be part of this year’s Summit at one of the grandest residential locations in all of South Florida, where they will dialogue about the latest in the real estate market conditions and development.  Listen and learn from them by purchasing your ticket to the Summit HERE.

They are:

Dolly Lenz, Founder, Dolly Lenz Real Estate, Jenny Lenz, Managing Director, Dolly Lenz Real Estate

Jenny Lenz, Dolly Lenz

Photo Credit: Dolly Lenz Real Estate

Dolly Lenz has been called "New York's Real Estate Queen" by The Economist. The Wall Street Journal named her the number" One Real Estate Broker in the United States". The former Vice Chairman of Prudential Douglass Elliman left that post to start her own luxury sales and marketing firm. During her career, she has sold $12 billion in properties, including a triplex penthouse for $57 million purchased by Robert Murdoch, as well as the New York Foundling's $45 million West Village Mansion. She has also managed the sales and marketing efforts for many of New York's most illustrious properties including the Ritz-Carlton at 50 Central Park South, the iconic Apthorp and Manhattan House condominiums, The Cipriani Residences, and 515 East 72nd Street.

Dolly is a Fox Business contributor as well as a columnist for Australia's largest publication, The Australian. She is repeatedly sought after to represent some of the most exclusive properties in the world.

Jenny Lenz is a native New Yorker. She attended The Dalton School on Manhattan's Upper East Side and subsequently The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, majoring in Economics and French . While there, she worked at Barclays as a Summer Analyst in the Investment Banking Division and upon graduation accepted a full time Analyst position in its Industrials Group.

She then transitioned into real estate, following in her mother's footsteps working for Dolly Lenz Real Estate. Her passion for the business started at an early age as she was exposed to some of the most breathtaking properties in the world, accompanying her mother on business trips to Europe and Asia. She has also fulfilled numerous speaking engagements at real estate conferences throughout the U.S and Australia. She strives to continue her mother's tradition taking on the New York and international real estate markets. She is regularly asked to opine on real estate matters on various media outlets including CNBC, NBC, and Fox Business. Jenny is also a columnist for The Australian–Mansions.

Mary Ann Osborn, Leading Broker, Century City

Photo Credit: Century City

Reaching over $1 billion in sales over the last eight years, Mary Ann Osborn has secured her position as a leading broker in Century City and Los Angeles.

Through her extensive knowledge of the market and preconstruction projects, she offers her clients a smooth and satisfactory transaction, from beginning to end. Her market knowledge, professionalism, level of integrity, and customer service qualify her as a broker of choice for new luxury condominiums in Century City. Osborn’s interpersonal skills and tactful approach has been validated by the particular demands of servicing an elite clientele.

She has been quoted in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and Westside Today, among others. 

She was the director of sales for The Century, a 42-story masterpiece designed by world-renowned Robert A.M. Stern Architects and developed by The Related Companies as their flagship entry into the West Coast. 

Richard Steinberg, Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Photo Credit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Richard Steinberg is one of New York's most successful and prominent brokers of apartments and townhouses. Grossing over $150 Million in sales yearly, Steinberg has consistently been a top producer. His comprehensive knowledge of the Manhattan marketplace has made him a frequently cited expert on real estate in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Observer and other publications. Steinberg previously starred on the hit HGTV television show "Selling New York," and can now be seen on "The American Dream New York City", which airs on WLNY-CBS. He has a client roster of New York's top celebrities, politicians, and business leaders.

Over the course of his career, Steinberg has successfully brokered sales in virtually all of the city's notable condominiums, cooperatives and townhouses. He has worked with private individuals and developers to identify a townhouse for purchase, renovation, and resale at significant profits in addition to working with individuals to identify townhouses as long-term homes. Developers have used Richard's expertise in closing out last remaining units in the top condominiums. He is adaptive to client needs, discreet, and known for his careful negotiations on their behalf. Richard holds a Doctorate degree, raised two children in New York along with his wife, and is a long-time resident of the Upper East Side.

Cody Vichinsky, Founding Partner, Bespoke Real Estate

Photo Credit: Bespoke Real Estate

Cody Vichinsky is a Founding Partner of Bespoke Real Estate, the first and only $10M+ brokerage firm with no independent agents, and Bespoke Marketing, a fully integrated luxury branding, and marketing agency. Under Vichinsky and his older brother Zachary's leadership, Bespoke Real Estate has been consistently ranked #1 in the $10M+ market with nearly $3 billion in $10M+ property transactions and curated an exclusive portfolio of nearly $2 billion $10M+ properties. The Vichinsky's attributes much of this success to Bespoke's disruptive business model that enables clients to have access to Bespoke's entire company of niche-specialists who work collectively on their behalf, instead of working within the limits of what a single agent can provide. Under the same guiding principles of providing clients enhanced value, the Vichinsky's have spearheaded much of the growth and development of Bespoke Marketing, which has represented a global roster of luxury and hospitality brands as well as some of the most exclusive real estate in the world

Olivia Hsu Decker, Co-Owner, Golden Gate Sotheby's International Realty

Photo Credit: Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty

Olivia Hsu Decker is co-owner of Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, with 23 offices in the San Francisco Bay Area from Silicon Valley to Napa Valley and 16 cities in between.

Born in Shanghai, China, Olivia has been marketing luxury properties since 1979. She was #1 agent at Merrill Lynch Realty in the 1980s among the 16,500 sales associates nationwide. She completed an international real estate study at the University of Oxford in 1990, founded Decker Bullock Realty with Bill Bullock in 1991 and acquired Sotheby’s International Realty franchise in 2007. Her company is a leading luxury home brokerage in the San Francisco Bay Area with sales over $4 billion in 2018.

Olivia has a unique sales ability and connection to an affluent clientele. She combines the Sotheby’s International Realty’s global exposures and her vast network of local, national and international connections she developed over 40 years. She consistently matching the extraordinary homes with extraordinary clients, many are billionaires, business leaders, and celebrities. Olivia handled over $3 billion in properties in her career. She sold some of the most expensive homes over $20 million in Marin County and Silicon Valley. She is also a real estate investor, among other properties, she owned and sold Chateau de Villette and Chateau de Grimaldi in France and currently owns four luxury homes in Belvedere and London.

Jay Parker, Chief Executive Officer, Douglas Elliman Florida Brokerage

Photo Credit: Douglas Elliman Florida Brokerage

Real estate industry leader and veteran, Jay Phillip Parker has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Douglas Elliman Florida Brokerage since 2013. Responsible for the advancement of a leading provider of luxury real estate services across Florida, he has successfully grown Douglas Elliman's presence in markets from Miami to Jupiter, to Palm Beach and St. Petersburg with a total of 21 offices and more than 1,100 agents.

Under Parker's leadership, Douglas Elliman Florida marked a banner year in 2018 with $4.7 billion in total sales volume, which was up 30% over the prior year. Jay has been a key figure in the growth of the brand, which is now represented in luxury real estate markets in 60 countries and six continents through its partnership with London-based Knight-Frank Residential.

A graduate of the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada, Parker completed the study abroad program in Tel Aviv, Israel while earning his Bachelor's Degree. He went on to earn his Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law in May of 1998. A member of the Florida Bar Association, Parker serves on the Board of Governors for the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, as President of the Executive Board of Mount Sinai Medical Center Foundation and a member of the Miami Association of Realtors Leadership Board.

Ben Bacal, Creator, Rila App

Photo Credit: Ben Bacal Real Estate

Ben Bacal began his career at the young age of 24. In his first year as a REALTOR^®, he sold more than $17 million in real estate. Since then, Bacal has sold more than $2 billion in real estate, and his successes garnered him the front cover of the LA Times Business Section and inclusion on The Wall Street Journal list of top 1000 agents, nationwide. A few of his notable transactions include: 1181 Hillcrest, which marked the largest sale ever in the city of Beverly Hills at $70,000,000; Madonna’s Beverly Hills home, which sold for $19,500,000; and the sale of the Megan Ellison (film producer and Oracle heir) compound on Nightingale Drive which sold for over $47,000,000—just to name a few.

Ben’s professional salesmanship, infused with the innate ability to articulate the vision and intrinsic value of the Los Angeles real estate market, has helped him reach the pinnacle of the real estate game. As a result, he used his vast experience to co-found Rila, a mobile app designed to provide the community with free, unencumbered access to real estate and like-minded industry professionals.

Michael Goldstein, President, Trump Group

Photo Credit: Trump Group

Michael Goldstein is President at the Trump Group with more than 35 years of experience in the real estate industry. He has sold over $5 billion in properties during his successful career. Goldstein has sales, marketing and branding experience and is instrumental in designing floorplans and developing the extraordinary amenities for the Acqualina brand.

He joined the Trump Group in 1998 when they began developing Acqualina, with the first building debuting in 2006. After the resort, they introduced The Mansions at Acqualina. The sales office opened in 2012 and the building sold out in 21 weeks. The Mansions opened in 2015. The sales gallery for The Estates at Acqualina opened the following year. A native of New York, Michael has been living and working in South Florida for almost four decades.

Sue Nickason, Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Provenance Properties

Photo Credit: Dart Real Estate

Sue Nickason is Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Provenance Properties, a portfolio that includes international business development, marketing of visitation and commercial real estate leasing in the New Urbanism community of Camana Bay, operation of Provenance Properties – the official Christie’s International Real Estate affiliate in the Cayman Islands - and sales and marketing for luxury residential projects developed by Dart Real Estate including The Residences at Seafire and OLEA.

She has worked in marketing and development in the recreational property industry for 20 years. Her experience includes working with independent hotels and resorts, shared ownership properties, mixed use communities and condotels. She is highly experienced in working with developers from concept development and market assessment through to market implementation and operation.

Originally from Canada, Nickason moved to the Caribbean over a decade ago. She holds a MBA in Marketing (with Distinction) from the School of Hotel Administration at the University of Guelph, and a BA (Honors) from Mount Allison University, as well as certificates in economic development, adult education, customer service, revenue management, protocol and communications.

Full Schedule of Events at Haute Residence 2020 Luxury Miami Real Estate Summit:

11:00am – 11:30am: Welcome and Registration

11:45am – 1:15pm: Titans of Miami – “East Coast Kings”

Masters of the Miami skyline sound off on where they see the luxury market heading and its evolution.

Developer Panelists: Gil Dezer, Louis Birdman, Dan Kodsi, Shahab Karmely, Marcelo Kingston, Edgardo Defortuna, Ricardo Tabet, Eric Fordin

1:15pm – 1:30pm: Jumbo Loan King

Eric Fessler, expert entrepreneur, has over 30 years of mortgage banking experience closing over $10 billion. Fessler discusses the procurement of jumbo loans in single-family homes along with warranty and non-warranty new condominium developments on a nationwide scale.

1:30pm – 2:30pm: Lunch – Residences by Armani/Casa

Network with the greatest minds of development and brokerage in the luxury real estate market.

2:45pm – 3:45pm: International Power Brokers Panel

Top broker/agents from key international real estate meccas such as Miami Beach, Los Angeles, New York City and Cayman Islands sound off on the latest in market conditions and development.

Panelists: Dolly Lenz and Jenny Lenz (NYC), Mary Ann Osborn (LA), Richard Steinberg (NYC), Cody Vichinsky (NYC) Olivia Hsu Decker (San Francisco) Jay Parker (Miami), Ben Bacal (Hollywood Hills), Michael Goldstein (Miami), Sue Nickason (Cayman Islands)

4:00pm – 5:00pm: Miami Power Brokers

Top South Florida brokers share their knowledge on the evolution and direction of the luxury market today.

Panelists: Jill Eber, Maria Eugenia Alvarez Vitale, Jeff Miller, Lourdes Alatriste, Steve Solomon, Crista Ryan, Sebastian Tettamanti, Christian Martinez

5:00pm: Summit Closing Remarks

The post International Power Brokers At Haute Residence 2020 Luxury Miami Real Estate Summit appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.