Inside the celebrity's home: Jamie Kennedy Pennsylvania-born quipster and all-around funny-man, Jamie Kennedy knows inspiration when he sees it. In August of 2007, while searching for his perfect home, his realtor Burt Bakman suggested a modern/contemporary dwelling nestled in the hills of Los Feliz. For Kennedy, whose bedroom walls as a child were pink (inherited from his elder sister) and whose first home in L.A. was a “shoebox in Koreatown,” anything with a view sounded mighty appealing.
Laid back interiors for town and country The "chilled out" style featured in "Casual Living" (Ryland Peters & Small, $29.95) is nothing new. Barefoot, scrubbed-down, unpretentious decorating has been the muse of magazines, books and designers for a good 20 years. The featured houses are stunning, however; in and of themselves making the book fresh and worthwhile.
Absentee landlord refuses to repair storm drain Q. I have owned and lived in my house for 20-plus years. The duplex next door is a rental, and the owner lives in another town and doesn't do maintenance to the property until a tenant moves out or something breaks. Our homes are close together, and his paved driveway runs in between. The driveway covers his property from the side of his house to the property line. I have about 2 to 3 feet of space that is mostly plant beds.
Merit Homes cuts prices on Libertyville homes Merit Homes has lowered pricing on two- to three-bedroom ranch and two-story homes at The Enclave at The Reserve at the Merit Club in Libertyville.
FHA shifting gears on reverse mortgages The Federal Housing Administration isn't talking publicly about it, but the agency may be getting ready to lessen the upfront costs of reverse mortgages for some borrowers.
Association survey shows upbeat mood Most folks are pretty happy with their community associations, according to a recent national survey from the Community Associations Institute.
Manny and Luz Aguirre, who have been married for about a year, were casually beginning their new-home search late last summer when a co-worker pointed Luz in the direction of Lexington Square in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood. The couple called the community that same day, visited at 2 p.m. and by the end of the day had put a deposit down on a new home.
Home prices in the Chicago area rose for the third straight month in June, raising them to a level equivalent to a year ago, according to data released Tuesday.
Maralee Grantham
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