I've added these real estate trivia questions for your enjoyment. And you might learn something new in the process! Have fun...
Q
Where was the actual location of the fictional Genovian Consulate in the 2001 Disney comedy, "The Princess Diaries"?
A
The historic Doheny mansion, located on the campus of Mount St. Mary's College, near downtown Los Angeles.
Q
What two streets near the Los Angeles Beverly Center were named for a famous husband and wife comedy team?
A
George Burns Drive and Gracie Allen Way
Q
Where is the world's largest stained glass window?
A
The American Airlines terminal at the Kennedy International Airport in New York City has a stained-glass window that is 300 feet long and 23 feet high.
Q
Where and when was the first motel introduced on the American commercial real estate scene?
A
The first motel, appropriately named the "Motel Inn", opened in San Luis Obispo in 1925.
Q
What 6,500 seat American theater was the location for the scene where the original 1933 King Kong breaks his chains onstage?
A
The famous Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, built by the Shriners in 1906 to resemble an exotic Arabian mosque.
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Buying Land and New Construction >Buying New or Buying Old
New homes typically have a higher sales price than comparable existing homes, and buyers are usually willing to spend more on a new home because of lower maintenance costs. Builders' warranties on new homes, when combined with a new roof, appliances, and major systems, usually make major repairs unnecessary and help to counter a slower initial rate of appreciation.
Census Bureau Housing Surveys suggests that operating costs are lowest for brand new homes and slightly higher for relatively new existing homes. Operating costs per square foot of living space are consistently higher for progressively older existing homes. Utility costs represent the largest factor in operating costs. Energy consumption per square foot depends on the size of the home, the insulation and quality of the windows, air leakage and the efficiency of the furnace.
New homes require fewer expenditures for routine maintenance. The cost of maintenance first increases with age, then declines, so you will generally spend less maintaining a home built before 1960 than for a home built between 1970 and 1975.