Category Archives: California

If You Have Ever Dreamed of Fractional Home Ownership –Even for a Second — Tonight is Your Night, Baby

Written by Candy Evans on October 9, 2012

Surely you’ve dreamed of second home ownership but like me, you are a perpetual tire kicker OR you worry that you won’t use the home enough, the maintenance will drive you batty. Second home owners sometimes corner me at parties and say, hey you with your damn fetish for multiple home ownership, it’s helluva lot of work. We just spent our entire weekend painting our second home — thanks a lot.

Posted in California, emerging real estate markets, Real Estate, Real estate market news, Second home trends, Second Shelters | Tagged Fairmont Ghirardelli, Fairmont Private Residence, Fairmont Private Residences, fractional ownership, Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco | 2 Comments

Mayacama: I Found Paradise in Northern Cali’s Wine Country. And I Will Never Be The Same

Written by Candy Evans on September 13, 2012

Late last summer, 2011, we were in Sonoma County, California where I toured a most amazing property called Mayacama. I credit finding this property to my trusted veterinarian, Dr. Barret Jiranek here at Lover’s Lane Animal Medical Center (Dallas). Or maybe I should give my precious Doodle Bree the credit. She had an ear ache, and I took her to see Dr. J before leaving town, like any good mother. He told me his sister lives in Sonoma — “in God’s country,” he said, and told me I needed to cover the development on this blog: 675 secluded acres amid rolling hills and northern California vineyards; wine and golf. Home ownership opportunities. I was intrigued.

Posted in Beach Homes, California, emerging real estate markets, Real Estate, Real estate market news, Second home trends, Second Shelters | Tagged Mayacama, Northern California, Northern California Vineyards, San Francisco, Sonoma, Sonoma County California | 2 Comments

Maintaining a Vacation or Second Home: Why a Concierge Service Ought to Come With the Title

Written by Candy Evans on August 24, 2012

As my site’s tagline reads, “you can never have too many homes.” Apparently, many buyers and homeowners agree. The latest Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey from the National Association of Realtors reported that vacation-home sales rose 7 percent in 2011.

Posted in Beach Homes, California, emerging real estate markets, national news stories affecting second homes, Real estate market news, Second Shelters, ski homes | Tagged Concierge Service, Concierge Services, National Association Of Realtors, Property Management, Vacationhome | 2 Comments

Pebble Beach Celebrity Car Auction Fetches More than $60 Million in Second Home Nirvana Location

Written by Candy Evans on August 22, 2012

Photos by Mike Maez, courtesy Gooding & Co.

Last year, about this time, I was in Pebble Beach at the venerable Concours d’Elegance which takes place in the center of second home nirvana: Pebble Beach and Carmel. Family matters kept me away this year, but I hear the crowd was even bigger, better and richer this year: Jay Leno’s Fiat 500 Prima Edizione sold for 10 times its expected worth. Twenty-four collector cars sold in excess of $1 million, highlighted by the summit of the weekend on Sunday evening when the von Krieger Special Roadster, a 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540 K, sold for $11,770,000, a double world record for a Mercedes-Benz and a pre-war car at auction.

Posted in California, Celebrity Homes, Second Shelters | Tagged David Gooding, Hagerty Insurancenbspsaid, Jay Leno, MercedesBenz, Mike Maez, Pebble Beach | 1 Comment

I Left My Heart in San Francisco but Not My Checkbook: The Fairmont Heritage Place at Ghirardelli Square is Quite an Affordable Second Home!

Written by Candy Evans on August 1, 2012

The Fairmont Heritage Place, Ghirardelli Square offers sweeping views of San Francisco Bay. The waterfront project is in a historic part of the California city on the sea that has always captured my heart. I’m here checking out this amazing property that is available as a fractional ownership for a smidgen over $200,000 for a two bedroom, even less for a one-bedroom!

Posted in California, emerging real estate markets, House Candy, Second home trends, Second Shelters | Tagged Bargain vacation homes, Canadian Ron Deyholos, Dallas real estate news, escaping Dallas TX, Fairmont Heritage Place, fractional ownership, French Fairmont, San Francisco, second homes in san francisco, vacation homes | 4 Comments

Time For an Easter Egg Hunt in One of Dallas’ Most Beautiful ‘Hoods: Happy Easter from SecondShelters.com

Written by Candy Evans on April 8, 2012

I cannot think of a better place for your Easter egg hunt than this lush lush LUSH backyard oasis snuggled away over at 4612 Watagua in Bluffview.Well maybe not snuggled: the home is actually on a ridge, has great topography and I felt like I was back in the hills of Napa! I know they say the Hill Country begins in Oak Cliff, but sometimes, when I’m in Bluffview, I think it starts right there. Built in 2000, this 7863 square foot home has gone through three owners all of who have added more, more and more to make it perfect. Great example: The Casita, built by current owners/sellers in 2007, which rests along the eastern edge of the site. It has a living area, powder bath plus fully appointed bath with double lavatory, IT’S OWN LAUNDRY FACILITY! How cool is that, guestst can do their own laundry or snack up in the efficiency kitchen. Even better: a Juliette balcony overlooks the front grounds while the dining area looks over a terraced outdoor banquette and the croquet lawn. I am going to ask if I can buy The Casita and just live there!

Posted in California, Celebrity Homes, Dallas real estate news, emerging real estate markets, Real estate market news, Second Shelters | Tagged Bath, Dallas real estate news, Easter Egg, Efficiency Kitchen, Far Niente Winery, Harold Weidner | 1 Comment

Second and Vacation Homes: Coldwell Banker Survey Says One Home is Never Enough With Baby Boomers — And It’s Way Cheaper than a Divorce!

Written by Candy Evans on October 13, 2011

(Above) John Raymond’s Cheese at Calistoga Ranch

There has been a lot of chatter out that the Baby Boomers might be the last generation to embrace home ownership. Well, a new study now says what I have long suspected: with Baby Boomers, one is never enough. The Millenials and offspring of the Baby Boomers tend to want smaller homes and fewer of them. This generation is also more likely to rent. But a new survey of Realtors acros the nation by Coldwell Banker tells me exactly what I am seeing happening among Baby Boomer peers: those in the 47 to 64 age bracket are delaying the sale of their large family homes, due to the sputtering market, and investing in second homes that may ultimately become retirement pads or family vacation spots.

Posted in California, emerging real estate markets, real estate and divorce, Second Shelters | Tagged Baby Boomer, Baby Boomers, Baby Boomers and vacation homes, Extracurricular Work, Family Vacation Spots, John Raymonds, second homes, Ulterior Motives | 1 Comment

Every Friday Is Wine Tasting Night When You Own a Second Home at Calistoga Ranch

Written by Candy Evans on October 12, 2011

I’m back from an

amazing weekend in the beautiful wine country of Northern California at Calistoga Ranch, where you can own a luxury home, with five-star plus service at your beck and call, for under $500,000. It’s fractional home ownership and from the owners I talked to, they wouldn’t have it any other way. $500,000 for real estate in this part of the world might net you a whole grape. And as one recent buyer told me, she does not want to deal with maintenance on her second home, no way. So you buy yourself a few weeks of deeded ownership for a fraction of what a home would cost, along with stellar service, and what do you get? Rest and relaxation!

Posted in California, Fractional home ownership, Second Shelters | Tagged Beck, Home Ownership, Luxury Home, Northern California, Stellar Service, Wine Country | 1 Comment

The Week Ahead on CandysDirt and SecondShelters: Calistoga, California Here I come

Written by Candy Evans on October 3, 2011

My second home this weekend!

As I have told you, I launched CandysDirt.com on July 1, 2011, my very own version of the super duper popular DallasDirt blog I created for D Magazine and kept going, growing for almost four years. CandysDirt (no apostrophe) is ALSO growing by leaps and bounds — please check it out every day. Like us on FaceBook. From here, just move your mouse over to the right and click on the logo — voila the latest real local Dallas estate gossip! Second Shelters will have some of the same stories, but focus on luxury second home communities. Coming up soon: Calistoga, CA. Read both and I promise you will know more about real estate than everyone. Not only do I have my ear to the ground in almost all 50 states, I read all about real estate trends daily and bring you whatever is behind the pay walls. (My bad!) Plus I have my AOL and Haute Living connections. Lots to tell – check out both blogs often!

Posted in California, CandysDirt.com, Celebrity Homes, Dallas real estate news, Second Shelters | Tagged D Magazine, Dallas Estate, Dallas Market, Facebook, Leaps And Bounds, Real Estate Trends | 2 Comments

The Glass House Price is Shattered, Slashed and Reduced…

Written by Candy Evans on August 31, 2011

Talk about the most perfect first, second or third home ever. Oh my, recall when I wrote about The Glass House? I called it Stairway to Heaven. That ultimate redefining structure within modernism? Not only does it have great bones, it has location squared. A 3.5 acre estate of oak groves in Montecito, California. The home has five bedrooms, five and a half baths for a grand total of 14,000 square feet. It includes a large kitchen with a wine room holding several thousand bottles, a grand hallway, and art gallery displaying a vintage car collection for 32 cars within its walnut lined walls. It is truly the pinnacle of architecture for this generation and will define the era in which it was built. The home should just be a damn museum!