I think it’s about time we had another Fantasy Open House Week, don’t you? Those are always a lot of fun, and it’s been a couple of months since our last one.
For those who don’t know, I pick a city and then scour the MLS listings to come up with five houses to show you, one each day for a week. At the end of the week, we take a poll to choose which one you’d buy with the unlimited funds in your imaginary bank account.
We already spent a week looking at older homes in Hyde Park, Ohio. We gawked at multimillion-dollar mansions in Birmingham, Alabama. And then I took you on a tour of the houses from the Cincinnati Homearama show in June.
So here’s my question: Where should we go house-hunting together next?
I’ve been thinking about either New York City or St. Louis, Missouri. But I want to hear your ideas. Nominate a city that you’d like to look at houses in and I’ll take them all under consideration. If you have a link to a good real estate site in that city, send it along, too, so I can start my search.
Can’t wait to hear what you all think!
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Well you know I’m going to say Franklin, TN, right? http://www.realtracs.com
Atlanta! They have some beee-auties there, chuck-full of charm and character.
I vote for Atlanta, too!
For some insane gawk worthy homes, check out Greenwich, CT!!! Definitely lots to drool over!!
I’m new to the blog, and I love it! I’d like to see houses in Minneapolis!
Seattle, Baby. Seattle. Bungalows out the wazoooooo.
Either of those choices sounds great -but what about Pittsburgh, PA?
I’m going to say my hometown of St. Louis, MO!! In fact, I think to highlight University City, Webster Groves, Kirkwood and Wildwood, MO would have the most beautiful classic homes!!
Can you tell I’m a little partial? Even though I don’t live there now (I’m in Dallas, ugh!), I love going home to visit and just driving down the old streets I grew up on and looking at all of the amazing homes. So unique, nothing cookie cutter about them!!
Thanks for your website! I am obsessed with homes (began studying residentail architecture in college) and have LOVED every post you have put up since I’ve been blogstalking you for a few months!!
God Bless!
Jill Garcia
Hello favorite sister-in-law! Perhaps Cary, NC or Charleston, SC?
I vote for New York. There are some huge houses in the suburbs there.
I also vote for Atlanta. Hot-lanta! The ATL, baby!
Dallas…big hair & big houses !
I’ve been lurking around your site for a couple of months, checkin in every once and while. I’ll have to throw my vote in for Atlanta too because I went to Georgia Tech and I still have a bunch of family living there. Would love to see some homes from the Buckhead area – gorgeous!
I’m not familiar with a lot of cities’ neighborhoods, so whatever you come up with will be great. I do know Dallas has some great old neighborhoods that might be fun to see sometime.
I would love to look at houses in Texas. I hear everything is BIG there.
I love Grosse Pointe, MI:
http://www.grossepointerealtors.com/
But you know what would also be cool? If you did NYC…to include a row house from one of the burroughs. Or even, how about a ‘working class fantasy tour’ …so instead of mansions that no one can afford, how about just your run of the mill working class neighborhood…but with homes that have been restored/remodeled, so that there is some ‘oooh and ahhh’ factor
I would also vote for Chicago…just the city, not the suburbs…such an ecclectic mix of homes there.
Can’t wait, no matter where you go, I will be in attendance
Bella
I think wherever would be great…but what about Denver? Surely there are some nice, original homes there…
Anywhere U.S.A. would be great but if I must choose…NYC sounds fun. I can’t wait.
Smiles ~ Ramona
Well lets see now, I live in Canada, and the only city in the States i’ve ever been too was , Seattle Washington, and that’s when I was a little girl. I’ve always wanted to go to Cape May , New Jersery, they have some beautiful Victorian Homes there , and alot of B&Bs by the looks of it, what a beautiful Sea Side place to go to. Here’s the realestate link. http://www.coastlinerealty.com/
Can I nominate Vancouver – I know not US but I think there are some spectacular homes there. If US how about Sanibel?
I’m going to say Charleston or Savannah – two of my favorite southern cities.
I’d like to see St. Louis.
There are great houses in Highland Park (a suburb of Dallas). I’m with Lizzi… I love the south. Would love to see some Charleston homes. I’ll email you another good link for the Dallas area.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…I have another idea, lol….what about a house from each of the Cantons in the US? You have to be a Stephen Colbert fan to know what I am talking about, haha
I vote for Seattle or Portland OR. But all of the other suggestions sound great also. As you well know, I will gawk at houses anywhere.
Janet
PS: that’s odd because I just did a post about Seattle upon my return, but I am sure you will find a different part of the city to tour.
C’mon, you have to choose New York City. $80,000,000 for a 4 bedroom apartment? I mean if you are going to dream big, dream REALLY BIG!
No one EVER comes to Salt Lake City…
http://www.utahrealestate.com
Come here!
New Orleans PLEASE!
Newport, RI!!!
Or I’d love to see Charleston, SC.
)
Hmmm…. NYC or Texas sounds fun to me. :0)
These are all GREAT ideas. I’m going to have a tough time choosing.
I should’ve mentioned that it doesn’t have to be in the U.S. An international Open House week would be fun, too. I just need to be able to find enough good online sites for them. -Julia
I’m with Liz (21), can we put a Canadian City Down. Vancouver and Victoria B.C.
I live near Mendham, New Jersey, which is a really beautiful and REALLY expensive town. Whitney Houston even has a home there. Check out this Coldwell Banker site for listings http://www.coldwellbanker.com/servlet/OfficeListing?action=detail&ComColdwellbankerDataOffice_id=2419&page=listings
These are beautiful, albeit very pricey homes!
How about New Orleans LA?
I’m sorta partial to Portland, Oregon but I don’t have a link for you, Julia. sorry. Perhaps I’ll get a chance to do more research. I do know that our Street of Dreams is going on right now – a neighborhood of newly built, multi-million dollar houses that is open for tours right now. If I can afford the arm and a leg it costs to tour the homes I’ll definitely post pics on my blog.
Here are my votes:
Seattle, WA
Portland, OR
Bend, OR
Las Vegas, NV
Santa Barbara, CA
Austin, TX
Destin, FL
~melody~
I second Newport and add the Hamptons. There’s some *crazy* real estate out on the eastern end of Long Island, and it just keeps going up and up and up in value. I’d be willing to be your research assistant on that one, Julia. (Maybe someone will even let me crash with them.
I’m a house junkie so I’m not picky….I’ll be happy with anything!!! LOL
~Des
I have to vote for Louisiana! Lots of beautiful southern charm exists here!
I think Atlanta, Savannah, NYC or San Francisco would all be wonderful. Someone mentioned Pittsburgh and I know that they have some wonderful homes there, as well.
One of my fantasy is to live in Boston… I lived there for a month but it was in a hotel suite… I would like to live in the city… Brownstone on Scenic Marlborough Street, Historical house on Beacon Hill, maybe something along the Charles River, on the harbour… close enough that I can stroll and paint in the Commons and shop near Newbury Street. Ok… that’s my vote!
If you pick Boston… or when you pick Boston some day… I will do paintings from my month in Boston and link to you!
You know my vote is for New York City (ahem, Brooklyn?) but we don’t have MLS here. Everything worth looking at is with exclusive agencies. Not hard to find (they have websites too) but not quite as easy as other cities.
Bay Village, Ohio
(I want to live here)
Boston, Mass (I used to live here)
Charlotte, NC (I do live here)
Outer Banks, NC (I just like)
~angela
With all thsi convention news I’d love to see some homes in Denver CO!
My son and daughter-in-law bought ahouse in the Highlands area –it is the up and comomh area of Dener with lots of young families.
NYC is always good too!
)
Thanks ! Love your blog!
Ok…I love the NYC idea. But would personally love to see homes in New Mexico (santa fe?)…and Alaska has some blow your mind places…who’da thunk it?
My two cents, anyway!
Paradise Valley, AZ or Scottsdale, AZ. I’ll be able to enjoy the houses from just about anywhere. There’s no packing boxes when you’re dreaming right?!
NYC, Atlanta, or…Houston because no one would ever choose H-Town. http://www.har.com
Wherever, it will be fun!
Charleston, SC
Well, I COULD pick Oakwood here but the area I was just in, near Chicago (Oak park), is awash in great old homes.
I am betting the San Francisco area is a treasure trove right?
NYC is ALWAYS a fun hunt as is upstate NY.
Vermont…that is nice too.
Maine…near Kennebunkport.
Ashville, and Greeneville NC
Ooh, so many great choices! Wherever you choose, it will be such fun!
Love,
Sue
Several commenters listed cities I’ve lived in. My vote is for one of those:
Asheville, NC
Charleston, SC
Alexandria, VA
Cary, NC (I’m actually in Holly Springs, but Cary probably has better houses!)
But any coastal city would be excellent!
Ali
a/k/a marathonali
OK in my real life i work as a real estate photographer. And i would love to see (besides my own neck of the woods…silicon valley) i would absolutely LOVE to see Miami…south beach to be exact.
Absolutely New York…oh, yes please!!
So thankful you do this for us…
Linda
xoxo
I see there aren’t too many votes for St Louis, but as a 14-yr resident, I have to put up my hand. I agree with the other commenter who mentioned Kirkwood and Webster Groves. St Louis proper has some beauties, too. Big, grand old houses that make something inside me ache just thinking about the history.
Here’s the best local real estate site; I even did a preliminary search for you!
http://www.cbgundaker.com/search/advanced/detail.jsp?mls_num=80039433&type=res
Love your blog!
Holly
Oops, I don’t know how to edit my previous comment but I meant to put this link
http://www.cbgundaker.com/search/advanced/results.jsp?min_price=600000&max_price=9999999999&city=st+louis&zip=&type=res&recent=&st_num=&st_name=&subdivision=&trans=S&openhouse=null&mls_num=&area=&county=&beds=&baths=&style=&startPage=1¤tPage=1
(Sorry, I also don’t know how to shrink the link!)
Take a look at Edmond, Oklahoma
http://www.mlsgateway.com
Ooh! I want to see some houses in NYC in all the boroughs or the Hamptons, or wherever. I wish I was rich and had a cool house somewhere in NYC.
I like the NYC idea. I mean, really! Where else are you going to find such variety? I like Bella’s idea too for including a “middle class” home too. It’s always interesting to see a range, I think. I can’t wait! Julia, you are so clever!
I know I’m late to the party, but I thought I would jump in with another vote for my hometown of St. Louis! There are so many gorgeous new (New Town in St. Charles) and old (all those mentioned above, plus the Central West End) neighborhoods.
I would also love to learn more about the neighborhood surrounding the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. I saw just part of a really interesting PBS show about how the same developer designed the Plaza and the residential areas around it, and he’s somewhat credited with being the “creator” of modern suburban neighborhood design. His name is J.C. Nichols, but I don’t remember the name of the neighborhood, so I’m not much help!
I know that I am commenting late. I want to nominate Grosse Pointe, MI. There are beautiful mansions there built in the 1920’s for the auto barons. My parents used to take us for drives along Lakeshore as a kid to see these houses. They are incredible.
I am late, too. But there are some gorgeous houses either in the Lake Norman, NC area, and also the Outer Banks.
Washington, DC – Great architecture, beautiful neighborhoods and its an election year.
http://www.bestaddresses.com
New York City or Chicago.
Let’s celebrate the summer! Miami!
I’m new to your blog, and I’m thinking Lake Tahoe! Love your posts!!!
Please please please do St. Louis!!!!!!
Is it too late to jump in here and suggest Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket? That would be my choice!
Hi Julia
Let’s see…..
Charleston
Savannah
Wyoming
Colorado
Carmel
Pebble Beach
St. Louis
and anywhere in Ohio
rue
Chicago (Focus on Hyde Park, Kenwood, Bronzeville, or Old Town)