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An absolutely tiny apartment on the Upper West Side asking nearly half a million dollars isn’t anything new, but then most listings don’t “fold.”

The 450-square-foot foldable apartment has hit the market asking $469,000, according to Gothamist. Third-grade-teacher Eric Schneider purchased the West 73rd Street apartment for just $235,000 in 2005. Soon after, he hired architects Michael Chen and Kari Anderson of Normal Projects to renovate his apartment.

The architects added what looks like a large closet that turns the studio into a four-in-one unfolding box, with a bedroom, living room, office and closet all inside. [Gothamist] –Christopher Cameron

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As real estate markets continue to recover around the country, buyers are out in full force.

Many of today’s buyers make judgments about homes within moments of seeing a listing online. They are also more cautious than before the housing crisis. They want to make sure they’re buying the best house and for the best amount of money.

For sellers, that means giving buyers what they want. Though it’s a home first and foremost, it’s also an investment. 

If you’re planning to put your house on the market, here are ten ways you might be turning off potential buyers.

1. A garage turned into something else

If you’ve sacrificed the garage for something other than the garage, the trade-off might actually be a turn-off, especially to people where parking is at a premium. Even in the suburbs, most people want a covered, secure place to park their cars. Don’t forget that a garage often doubles as a storage location. The garage houses everything from lawn mower to the excess paper towels and cleansers. If you convert your garage into something else, you’re likely to force a buyer to look elsewhere.

2. A bedroom turned into something else

Aside from location, one of the first things a buyer searches for is number of bedrooms. Why? Because it’s an important requirement. You might think having a wine cellar, with built-in refrigerators, in your home will make it attractive to potential buyers because it was attractive to you. And while it’s true many people work from home today at least part of the time, that doesn’t mean they want a dedicated home office — especially one with built-in desks or bookcases that would need to be removed. If you must convert a bedroom into something else, make sure you can easily convert it back into a bedroom when you go to sell.

3. Carpet over hardwood floors

Many people today like hardwood floors. They are cleaner looking, add a design element, don’t show dirt as much, and they’re definitely preferred over carpets for people with allergies. If you have nice hardwood floors, show them off. Let the buyer decide if he or she wants to cover them. It’s easier for a buyer to purchase new carpeting of their choosing than it is for them to get past yours.

4. Over-the-top lighting fixtures

A beautiful chandelier can enliven a dining room. But it can also turn off buyers who prefer simpler, less ornate lighting fixtures. Did you fall in love with a dark light fixture on a trip to Casablanca? That’s great. And you should use it for your own enjoyment. But when it comes time to sell, replace it with something more neutral.

5. The kid’s room that is a miniature theme park

Little kids have big imaginations. They tend to love Disney characters, spaceships, super heroes, and such, and their parents are often all-too-willing to turn their rooms into fantasy caves. But the more you transform a kid’s bedroom into something resembling a Disneyland ride, the more you’ll turn off most potential buyers. Your buyer might have teenage children who will see the removal of wallpaper, paint or little-kid-inspired light fixtures as work. If you can, neutralize the kid’s rooms before you go on the market.

6. An above-ground pool

Does it get hot in the summers where you live? Wish you had a backyard pool but can’t afford to have a ‘real’ pool installed? Then you might be tempted to buy and set up an above-ground pool. For most potential buyers, though, these pools are an eyesore. Also, an above-ground pool can leave a big dead spot of grass in your backyard — another eyesore. If you must have it, consider dismantling it before going on the market. Of course, be sure you’re really ready to sell or you may be stuck without a place to cool off next summer.

7. An in-ground pool

You might assume that a gorgeous backyard pool will make a splash with potential buyers. Except in warm climates, where pools are truly an important amenity, many people see a backyard pool as a huge maintenance issue — not to mention a liability. If you live in an area where pools aren’t that common, seriously consider your decision. If you’re planning to be in the home for the long haul and you’ll get lots of use out of it, go for it.

8. Avocado-green kitchen fixtures

If your home is decades old and the kitchen looks like something from The Brady Bunch, consider investing in a quick once-over. Some new stainless steel appliances and granite countertops can be installed in no time and the cost and hassle is a lot less than you think. More buyers prefer to move right in. Do the work for them and you increase your bottom line.

9. Cigarette smell through the house

Over time, the smell of smoke permeates your home. It gets into the carpet, drapes, wood paneling, just about everywhere — a big turnoff to most buyers today. Getting rid of the smoke smell can be a big job. If you’re a smoker, seriously consider how you want to present your home to the market. For a long- term smoke-filled home, it means new paint, removing carpets and doing lots of deep cleaning.

10. Keeping Fido’s bed and toys front and center

Let’s face it; family pets bring a lot of joy to the home. But, they don’t always bring the same joy to a prospective buyer. Dog’s toys, filled with saliva, dirt and dust can be a sore both for the eyes and the nose. If you have a pet, put a plan in place to move the food and water bowls as well as the toys and dog’s bed to a better location, like the garage. Homes that smell and show like animals can scare buyers off.

It’s your home — for now

Part of the joy of owning a home is that you can do whatever you want with it, to it, and in it. You should enjoy it. But if you want to sell it easily and for top dollar down the road, try to picture how others might react to any renovations, additions or modifications you make. The more specific you get — such as turning your kid’s room into a miniature castle from Cinderella — the harder it will be to sell your home later, and the less return on investment you’ll get. When considering changes to your home, always consider resale.

SEE ALSO: Why One Woman Spent 3 Months Only Pretending To Buy A Home

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The nine-story penthouse at the iconic Woolworth Building in Lower Manhattan is expected to hit the market for a record $110 million.

The new unit is one of 34 apartments being developed by Alchemy Properties, with prices ranging from $3.5 million for a 1,200-square-foot apartment to the nearly 9,000-square-foot penthouse that will take up floors 50 to 58.

The development is particularly exciting since the famous building hasn’t undergone a major renovation since the 1970s. Originally built in 1913, the Woolworth Building has outlived its namesake (The Woolworth Company went out of business in 1997) and housed the Irving National Exchange Bank, Columbia Records, the Witkoff Group, and many others.

Photographer Martin Doudoroff recently got a rare glimpse inside the building's opulent lobby (visitors can also pay $15-$45 for a tour) and shared his snapshots of the atrium's  neo-Gothic details.

The building was completed in 1913 by architect Cass Gilbert, who was also responsible for the Minnesota State Capitol building, the Detroit Public Library, and the United States Supreme Court building.The tower was commissioned by Frank W. Woolworth, the CEO of the F.W. Woolworth Company and owner of over 300 5- and 10-cent stores across the U.S., Canada, and England. He famously paid the $13.5 million in cash.The lobby looks like a Romanesque Cathedral, with mosaics, gilded details, and a marble stairway. It was even nicknamed "the Cathedral of Commerce.”Once the tallest skyscraper in the world, the Woolworth Building is 792 feet tall, taking up a full city block on Broadway between Park Place and Barclay Street in lower Manhattan.The Woolworth Building in numbers: 60 floors, 15 acres of floor space, 3,000 windows, 24,000 tons of steel, 48 miles of plumbing, 17 million bricks, and 7,500 tons of terra cotta.The lobby's gorgeous stained glass ceiling features important dates from the Woolworth company's history.When it was first completed, the building's major selling point was its amenities. The building had a shopping arcade, health club, doctor's office, barber shop, and restaurant, as well as high-speed, innovative elevators.There was also famously an indoor pool and Turkish bath in the basement. The pool was drained in 1999 to make way for a larger retail space, but the long-abandoned pool may be restored for luxury tenants.There are a lot of gorgeous small details in the lobby, likes these carved faces and figures. Many of these faces were of the real workers who toiled on the building, including architect Cass Gilbert and Frank W. Woolworth.Here's another example.The Woolworth Building was officially named a National Historic Landmark in 1966 and a New York City Landmark in 1983. It is still one of the 50 tallest buildings in the United States as well as one of the 20 tallest in NYC.

SEE ALSO: The Best New Skyscrapers On The Planet

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If you need to sell your house fast, the West is best.

California leads the nation for fastest home sales, with the average property snapped up in just 52 days.

Compare that to Vermont, the slowest of all 50 states, where it takes nearly half a year — 161 days on average — just to lock down a buyer.

The data was compiled by FindTheBest, a research engine that just expanded into real estate.

The 5 Fastest States To Sell Your Home

1. California: 52 days

California homes are among the most sought-after in the nation — not only the fastest sold, but also the second most expensive, at $355,000 on average (only houses in Hawaii, at $412,400, cost more).

2. Arizona: 68 days

Arizona homes sell quickly, but unlike the other states on this list, average selling prices are fairly close to the national average, at $169,000. 

3. Colorado: 69 days

Colorado properties are sold in under 70 days, on average. Blame it on natural beauty and some of the best ski resorts in the country. (Note that Colorado is tied for third-fastest home sales with Nevada.)

3. Nevada: 69 days

Nevada residents — particularly those living in and around Las Vegas — have been especially volatile over the last decade, coming and going en masse as the economy has taken unexpected turns. Departing residents can at least take comfort that a willing buyer is only 69 days away.

5. Texas: 75 days

The impulsiveness of youth may be to blame for Texas’s fast-flipping houses. Texans might be disproportionately proud of their state, but they’re also disproportionately young, with 30.2% of residents under 20 (compare to 26.9% nationally).

The 5 Slowest States To Sell Your Home

1. Vermont: 161 days

Vermont is apparently in much less of a hurry than most of America. Residents can expect to wait a full 23 weeks to sell their home — 19% longer than any other state.

2. Maryland: 135 days

Over half (52.7%) of Maryland residents pay in excess of $2,000 per month on their mortgage, which might begin to explain why buyers are so slow to pounce on new property.

3. West Virginia: 134 days

Compared to the whole nation, West Virginians pay below average mortgages, but with 32.3% of all households earning less than $25,000 per year, low earnings potentially contribute to a slower real estate market.

4. New Hampshire: 130 days

New Hampshire might be slow in selling homes, but it makes up for it in politics and education, with a first-in-the-nation presidential primary, and first-in-the-nation performance on standardized tests like the SAT and ACT.

5. Arkansas: 127 days

Compared to national averages, both renting and owning houses in Arkansas is dirt cheap, with over 50% of monthly rent prices under $500 per month, and nearly 50% of all monthly mortgage payments under $1,000. Despite the affordable pricing, homebuyers are in no rush, making sellers wait well over 100 days with each sale.

SEE ALSO: 10 Things That Will Make It Harder To Sell Your Home

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A couple who had been searching for a property in which they could open their own bed and breakfast got extremely lucky when they found the enchantingly beautiful but rundown James Lee House in Memphis.

So Jose Velázquez and his wife, Jennifer, bought the house. 

For a buck.

The James Lee House is a farmhouse that was built in 1848. It's the birthplace of the Memphis College of Arts. The home stayed in the Lee family until 1959, and then was turned over to the city with a 50-year lease to turn it into a museum. It never happened, so the house just kind of sat there, collecting dust, rotting away.

In 2011, the lease ended, and the city of Memphis made a call for proposals from those who wanted to restore the grand home in a way that would benefit the community at large.

Jose Velázquez told The Huffington Post he submitted a report on plans to invest $2.1 million in restoring the 165-year-old mansion and turning it into a fully-functioning bed and breakfast in just under one year.

He and his wife posted tons of before and after photos on the James Lee House Facebook page showing how they turned a beautiful disaster into an amazing bed and breakfast.

This is what the James Lee House looked like before the renovations started.

You can tell the 165-year-old house has tons of charm.

But the inside really needed a lot of work.

Here in the U.S., we make it a point to try to be bigger and better than everyone else. We’re all about parties, thrills, adrenaline, and a larger-than-life attitude. No one would really call this country boring.

Well, actually, maybe a few people would. Who? Anyone living in one of theMovoto Real Estate Blog’s 10 Most Boring Cities. According to our findings—a mix of statistical analysis based on cold, hard data we call Saturday Night Science—that dubious lineup is topped off (or is that bottomed out?) by Lubbock, TX. Here’s how the whole snorefest looks:

1. Lubbock, TX
2. North Las Vegas, NV
3. Chesapeake, VA
4. Irving, TX
5. Fort Wayne, IN
6. Plano, TX
7. San Bernardino, CA
8. Stockton, CA
9. Mesa, AZ
10. Laredo, TX

How did these cities get there? Where do other places rank? All your questions and more will be answered in the next section, and, if charts don’t bore you too much, you can see the 50 most yawn-inspiring places ranked at the end of this post.

How We Created This Ranking

First, we made a list of the 100 most populated places in the U.S. There are a lot of boring little places, of course, but we’re looking just at the heavy hitters here.

We then collected data from the U.S. Census (2010) business listings in categories we picked to measure excitement (or lack thereof). We weren’t able to get all the data on a few places, such as Paradise, NV, so spots like that got off lucky and didn’t make our list. The criteria we used were:

• Nightlife per capita (bars, clubs, comedy, etc.)
• Live music venues per capita
• Active life options per capita (parks, outdoor activities, etc.)
• Arts and Entertainment per capita (movie theaters, festivals, galleries, theaters, etc.)
• Fast Food restaurants per capita (the fewer the better)
• Percentage of restaurants that are not fast food (the higher the better)
• Percentage of young residents ages 18 to 34 (the higher the better)
• Population density (the higher the better)

After that, we ranked each place from one to 100, with 100 being the most boring a place could get. Then, we averaged each place’s rankings into one Big Deal Score, with the highest number being the most boring. Unfortunately, that place was Lubbock.

Now, before you get all up in arms about this ranking, let’s reassure you of something: We’re not saying any of these places are bad. We’re not saying the people who live there aren’t great folks, and we’re not saying that no one should move there. This is meant to be a bit of light-hearted fun, so try to keep a smile on your face and not take any of this personally. Sound good?

Now, if we haven’t bored you to death yet, let’s look at some places which might just do that.

1. Lubbock, TX

The name of our No. 1 city even sounds like the place is lounging around doing nothing, and that really isn’t far off. This spot had very low population density, and a slightly older population, despite the fact that it’s home to Texas Tech University.

Lubbock isn’t exactly full of culture either, as the arts per capita ranked 73rd and the music venues per capita ranked 83rd. Where Lubbock really took a nosedive was in the dining department, so much so that it ranked dead last in the non-fast food restaurant category (fast food is borrrring).

The one thing this city didn’t totally fail at was nightlife, where it ranked a pretty middle-of-the-pack 58th. We guess if you’re an older college student who isn’t into art, who’s living on fast food and cheap drinks, Lubbock might be for you.

2. North Las Vegas

Okay, we’ve got to ask: What’s going on here? This city has Las Vegas in the name, shouldn’t it be full of thrills, sin, fun, and crazy? As it turns out, no, this place is absolutely none of that. Mostly, it’s just kind of a place where people live, and they’re not exactly the party type.

Only about 10 percent of the population was between the ages of 18 and 34, and the nightlife ranked 86th, so if you’re in your twenties and looking to party, this should not be a destination on your list. There were not many non-fast food restaurants, compared to cities of similar sizes, and there’s not much in the way of active life either.

On the bright side, residents have a ton of excitement right next door. So, while they may not be able to have a whole lot of fun in their hometown, they can forage for excitement in Sin City pretty easily.

3. Chesapeake, VA

At No. 3 we have a very pretty city, Chesapeake. It’s got a diverse population and even a thriving economy. However, it is also has a fat-lot of nothing to do.

To start, there was a distinct lack of nightlife and music venues. There were equally few arts amenities, and only a fair amount of active life options on top of that. So this wasn’t exactly an exciting spot, unless you’re really into swamps, birdwatching, or napping.

Did we mention that this place is home to a large portion of the Great Dismal Swamp? Yes, it’s really called that, and yes, we do think that’s fitting.

4.  Irving, TX

So you used to have the Dallas Cowboys. That’s cool and all, but they took off in 2010, and now what have you got in Irving? Not a whole lot, according to the data.

More than a fifth of the population was between the ages of 18 and 34, which gave this place a pretty youthful vibe. That’s depressing because there was next to no nightlife, music venues, interesting restaurants… really there was no sort of upbeat fun here.

We’ll give Irving credit for one thing though: It’s got a major international airport right there for anyone to use. The most interesting thing about Irving might be how easy it is to leave for someplace more fun.

5. Fort Wayne, IN

Right off the bat, we’ll give Fort Wayne its due in a few areas. This place does have a ton of festivals and some really decent minor league sports. So, yeah, good for you guys on that stuff. But once you’re sick of those, there aren’t many alternatives.

The population was decidedly older, there was not much nightlife or fine dining options per capita, and there were very few music venues scattered throughout the city. This city is rather pretty, and if you’re looking for a place to kick back and relax there are worse places to go. But if you want to be wild and crazy and you’re not there during a festival, you’re probably out of luck.

6. Plano, TX

Texas, we need to talk. We know you like to see your cities highlighted on our ranking, but you’re by far the most represented state here, and this is the third spot in our top 10 you’ve nabbed. We’d tell you to curb your enthusiasm, but it looks like you’ve already got a handle on that.

Anyway, Plano might be a pretty pleasant and peaceful place to call home, but peaceful hardly equates to excitement. The nightlife ranked 93rd, and the music venues per capita ranked 97th. The non-fast food restaurants per capita ranked 77th, and the arts ranked 75th. Yes, this is a wealthy community with lots of schools, but a hub of partying and fun it is not.

7. San Bernardino, CA

Those concerned about any bias we might have for California cities, worry no longer. Let’s be blunt: This place isn’t doing too well right now. First it declared bankruptcy, and it’s now been ranked the seventh most boring place in the nation by us. Tough luck, guys—hopefully things will get better for you soon.

Still, we’re not singling this place out unfairly. There was little in the way of active life amenities here, and there wasn’t a ton of nightlife per capita either. There were a few music venues and some amount of young people, probably from the presence of the many colleges and universities in the area, but that’s not much.

8. Stockton, CA

Maybe you’ve heard this joke before: Time flies like an arrow and fruit flies like Stockton. Say it out loud if you’re having trouble getting it. That sort of stigma has really stuck with this city over the years, and now we know that at least the boring part is spot-on.

There were few non-fast food restaurants per capita, and pretty few arts options. There really wasn’t much in the way of nightlife or music when compared to similarly sized cities, so if you’re a night-owl you’ll be sorely disappointed here.

9. Mesa, AZ

Easily the biggest place in our top 10, Mesa should have a ton of stuff happening, right? Wrong.

Besides having a pretty small young population, there was next to no nightlife variety here, and few music venues as well. There were not that many options as far as non-fast food restaurants either, so we hope you like burgers and fries if you want to call this place home. All in all, there was just nothing spectacular going on, and you’d better off heading to nearby Phoenix to party.

10. Laredo, TX

Come on, Texas, we talked about this.

Finishing up our list is Laredo, the fourth Texas location on our list and a decidedly dull city right on the border with Mexico. Mostly, this place’s ranking had to do with a serious lack of culture. This city had the worst arts rank on our entire list and the third worst active life and nightlife rankings.

So, alternatively, why didn’t this rank as even more boring? Shockingly enough, this place had a pretty young population and few boring fast food restaurants. Also, we suppose it doesn’t hurt that Mexico is right next door in case you get hit with a bit of wanderlust.

Are You Yawning Yet?

Even reading the names of some of these places, especially Lubbock, can leave you feeling a little like napping .These may be very pretty, peaceful, and nice spots to call home, and you may absolutely love where you live, but you can’t honestly say they compare to the thrills you’d get in San Francisco, New Orleans, or really any other place in the nation.

Feel free to let us know in the comments if you think your hometown is more dull—just try to keep it interesting, please! 

SEE ALSO: The 12 Most Expensive Homes For Sale In The US

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It's a major luxury to own a second home. But when you're not using it, a second home can also be a source of income.

Eric Horndahl, VP of marketing for vacation rental website FlipKey, says the company's users make an average of $26,000 per year on their homes, with some making as much as $100,000 annually.

He gave us some tips about how to squeeze most money from your second home.

First, and most important, is marketing, Horndahl said. He suggested hiring a photographer to take professional pictures that would really appeal to renters.

Homeowners should de-clutter their homes and stage photos with the right lighting and angles to "make people feel like this is the best place that they could stay when they're traveling to their destination," he said.

The next tip? Pricing. Horndahl says it's important to price your home properly throughout the year. He recommended browsing the internet to see how much similar homes are going for. 

Another important but underrated factor is how the homeowner represents himself online — always reply to renters quickly and professionally. 

Finally, Horndahl said homeowners should market across a number of different channels. Aside from Flipkey, HomeAway and Airbnb are great avenues. 

And the biggest mistake? Not prepping your home properly. Aside from cleaning up, he suggested storing valuables in locked closet and providing basic items that guests would get in a hotel.

SEE ALSO: Look Inside The Historical Mansion That Sold For Just $1 Before Being Transformed Into A Dream Home

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William Koch, the billionaire brother of Tea Party darlings David and Charles, has listed his expansive Aspen ski mansion for $89.9 million, according to The Aspen Daily News (via Curbed).

Koch bought the 55-acre property, formerly a hotel, in 2007 for $26.4 million. He transformed it into a stunning ski house with 15 bedrooms, a gym, and several guest houses.

The home was renovated by architecture firm Rowland + Broughton, which has pictures of the interior.

Compared to his politically minded brothers, William is relatively private, though he does have some interesting hobbies. A fan of the Old West, he's currently building a replica of an entire western town to house his large collection of memorabilia, and once paid more than $2 million at auction for a rare photo of Billy the Kid.

Last year, Koch spent nearly $20 million on the Cape Cod estate formerly owned by the Mellon banking family.

SEE ALSO: Billionaire Bill Koch Buys The Mellon Compound On Cape Cod For $19.5 Million

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On Wednesday, a huge chunk of ground under a home in Whitney, Tex. fell into a lake, leaving the home, valued at over $700,000, teetering on the edge of a cliff.

The owners of the 4,000-square-foot villa, Rob Webb and his wife, decided to burn it down. Local news station WFAA-TV streamed aerial footage of the burning on live TV.

Screenshots of the controlled burn below:

A big chunk of the house fell into the lake:There were 16 firefighters on hand to watch the fire.The owners of the home watched the fire from Florida, according to WFAA. "It isn't until you see the deck that you used to sit on to look at the lake ... it's gone," one of the owners said in an interview."I wanted to leave it to my grandchildren," they added. "It's a big hit."

The house on Lake Whitney has been unoccupied since the owners abandoned it two weeks ago. It was declared unsafe for habitation about a year ago, according to WFAA-TV, after a crack was discovered in the cliff beneath the home.

Roughly a fifth of the home collapsed into the lake prior to the fire. Here's what it looked like ahead of the fire.The luxury vacation home was built in 2008 and the Webbs purchased it in 2012 with their retirement savings, according to WFAA-TV. At the time, it was far away from the bluff and presumably safe. Mark Wilson, the chief deputy for the Hill County Sheriff’s Department, told Reuters that “there is just a lot of the bluff that gave way.”

Roughly 150 feet of land has eroded since February, and despite no longer living on the property, the owners are tasked with cleaning up the rubble. Webb told WFAA-TV that he and his wife did purchase home insurance, but that their plan does not cover "earth movement." It is unknown at this time how much the demolition will cost.

After consulting with demolition experts and the U.S. Army Corps Engineers, the owners burned down the house, and will move the debris to stable land before having crews remove the slab foundation, according to the AP.

Here's how close the home was to the edge:

WATCH ALSO: 9 Maps Of Texas That Will Change The Way You See The Lone Star State 

SEE ALSO: Billionaire Sells His Oceanfront Palm Beach Estate For $43 Million

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New York City is chock-full of laughably small, awkwardly shaped apartments. Which is why it takes a good imagination to not only make them livable but actually desirable.

The designers at Specht Harpman Architects recently worked wonders on a 425-square-foot loft on the Upper West Side.

The space, at the top of a six-story brownstone, has 25 feet of vertical space and even access to a rooftop — giving them plenty to work with.

Check out the photos below to see the new micro-loft.

This was the space before. It was run down, with exposed brick walls and dated paint.

For such a small space, it didn't have much room for storage.The architects' solution was to create multi-level “living platforms" in order to squeeze everything in but still make it feel open.One of their goals was to create a flowing interior "that dissolves the notion of distinct 'rooms.'"A cantilevered bed on steel beams floats over the main living space on the third floor.And the tiny bathroom is tucked beneath the stairs.Which now have a ton of storage space. They feature built-in drawers and shelves, similar to Japanese kaidan dansu.  The roof garden at the top allows light to radiate throughout the apartment. Pretty impressive. It's hard to tell that this was still the same apartment.Compare it again to the new space:

Job well done. 

SEE ALSO: The 10 Most Expensive Homes For Sale In New York City

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Surprise, surprise: Donald Trump is making headlines yet again for angering people. 

This time, it's for stamping an enormous "TRUMP" logo on his nearly completed 96-story Chicago skyscraper, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The 20-foot-tall silver letters are positioned on the building's front side and will be illuminated with LED lights at night. 

Everyone is bringing out the pitchforks, including Mayor Rahm Emanuel and even the main architect of the building, Adrian Smith.

"Mayor Emanuel believes this is an architecturally tasteful building scarred by an architecturally tasteless sign," Emanuel spokeswoman Kelley Quinn said in a statement.

"I think it hurts the image of the building and is done in poor taste. It also hurts the image of Chicago. How could the City officials that must approve these signs let this happen?" Smith said in an email to NBC Chicago.

Trump, of course, has responded in classic Trump fashion. He compared the letters to the Hollywood sign, telling the WSJ he has the "hottest brand in the world," and saying on Twitter said it's the "most beautiful building in Chicago."

But that is nothing compared to what others on Twitter are saying: 

While some were outraged...

Here's a tweet for ya @realDonaldTrump - the #trumpchicago sign is tacky and tasteless! This isn't Vegas or AC. I agree with @RahmEmanuel!

— Casey Burdsall (@CaseyBurdsall) June 13, 2014

#trumpchicago cheesy expect nothing less from rich cheeseball

— Mid City Yacht Club (@mcycNOLA) June 13, 2014

Hate the sign! #trumpchicago

— Jackie (@Jackie_Kim) June 13, 2014

Others took the opportunity to take jabs at the real estate mogul...

I think I'll like the #trumpchicago sign better when they install the comb over on it. http://t.co/zoSGU7HLvt

— Barbara Govednik (@ReadBarbara) June 13, 2014

When did Donald Trump become so humble? #Trump#trumpchicago

— docnad (@doc_nad) June 13, 2014

The #trumpchicago building proves that as long as it says trump on the side it's classy. Which is good news for hookers everywhere.

— zachOlson (@Zach_Team) June 13, 2014

And this tweet pretty much sums it up:

What did we expect? Totally predictable. But still.... #trumpchicagopic.twitter.com/LJ0yl2W4FL

— Betsy Rubin (@BetsyRubin) June 13, 2014

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The modern economy has been characterized by very low inflation and booms and busts in asset prices.

In the U.S., inflation has been on a big downward trend for years, even amid booms, bubbles, and solid economic rebounds. The story is similar in the U.K. And that's what we just saw this morning.

At 4:30 a.m., two numbers came out from the U.K.'s Office of National Statistics.

One was the May CPI reading, which showed that inflation just fell to its lowest level since 2009.

Here's the chart:

Now you have to realize something, which is that by most accounts the U.K. economy is booming.

Pretty much every economic measure from the U.K. has been hot, and last Friday, the head of the Bank of England Mark Carney hinted that rate hikes could come sooner than markets were expecting. This led to analysts pulling forward their forecasts for when rate hikes would come, with many now predicting that BoE rate hikes could come this year.

And yet here's inflation, which is usually the big warning signal of an overheating economy, sitting near decade lows.

Meanwhile, another data point just came out that tells a different story. 

The U.K. housing market is booming, the Office of National Statistics tells us.

Home price gains have accelerated to their fastest pace since the crisis.

And the London market is just insane.

Here's a breakdown by region. 

 So this is your snapshot of the economy.

On the one hand, you have basically no inflation by historical standards. 

But in terms of asset markets, particularly real estate in prime locations, prices are going up like crazy. The situation is not good, and it drives Central Bankers mad because they don't like to see numbers like that one in London, but they don't want to choke off a recovery when inflation isn't at the levels they want.

And again, this isn't just London. The same scenario has presented itself for years in the U.S. There hasn't been worrisome inflation in a long time, but there have certainly been destabilizing asset booms.

As for why this is, people have all kinds of theories. Some think it's a function of central bank policies that are impotent and boosting the real economy but are effective at blowing financial bubbles by providing cheap capital. Others talk about a "new normal" or "structural stagnation" where for structural reasons, economies are unable to grow and induce normal inflation. The view of Larry Summers is that something has changed in the economy (perhaps relating to population changes and technology) that necessitates bubbles in order to get widespread growth. Nobody has nailed it down exactly.

Regardless of why this is going on, what we just got from the U.K. is a snapshot of a story we've been seeing for a long time.

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Samsung Electronics is close to leasing the entire building at 837 Washington Street in the Meatpacking District.

Facebook, Google and Ferrari have also been bidding to lease out the whole property.

Asking rent for the ground floor of the 55,000-square-foot glass building between Little West 12th and 13th streets is $500 per square foot, the New York Observer reported.

Samsung already opened a hands-on innovation and design center called Samsung Living Atelier in the building, which is being developed by Thor Equities and Taconic Investment Partners.

The property, which is located across from the Whitney Museum’s new location, has a roof that overlooks the High Line. The development includes more than 7,000 square feet of outdoor space on the second and third floors.

When the building is completed later this year, the property will boast a total of 28,000 square feet of retail on the ground level and the second floor. The third through sixth floors will house an additional 27,000 square feet of office space. [NYO]

SEE ALSO: You Will Want To Live In SoundCloud's Stunning Berlin Offices

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For years, young professionals and families turned up their noses at Bay Ridge, a working-class area of southwestern Brooklyn, because of how far it is from Manhattan.

But as real estate prices in trendier Brooklyn neighborhoods continue to climb, more and more city slickers are taking a second glance at the "original Gold Coast," as locals call the area. With its phenomenal public schools, copious outdoor spaces, restaurant row, and affordable housing, Bay Ridge has a lot to offer.

The influx of young people has also changed Bay Ridge. Trendy, pricey restaurants have popped up on the main drag, a new crowd stays out later, and rents have significantly increased. Suddenly, Bay Ridge's lifelong residents fear being priced out of their homes.

The last shred of Old Brooklyn — the grimy, comfortable, working-class borough where a cup of coffee cost a buck — is giving way to "Girls"-era, hipster New Brooklyn. Let's see what all the fuss is about.

Welcome to Bay Ridge, one of the last shreds of "Old Brooklyn" still in existence.

It's located on the southwestern curve of Brooklyn, about a 45-minute commute to Lower Manhattan.

For a time, the only people who knew of Bay Ridge were crusty, old-school Brooklynites and those familiar with "Saturday Night Fever." The film's protagonist, played by John Travolta, captured the middle-class, family-oriented values of Bay Ridge in the 1970s.

In its annual Luxury Lifestyle Report, Sotheby’s International Realty breaks down what’s important to wealthy real estate buyers.

When it came to amenities, Sotheby’s International Realty brokers said the number of clients who wanted a home with “smart amenities” has increased drastically over the last two years. These include appliances, lighting, entertainment systems, security, and more that can be controlled remotely from anywhere in the world.

China’s wealthy real estate investors also valued space to display their massive art collections, while U.S. buyers were mostly interested in having a multi-car collector’s garage, according to the report.

But location was definitely the top priority for luxury buyers around the world, with 71% of respondents telling Sotheby’s International Realty they would pay more for the home's location over its size, historic significance, or previous (famous) owners.

And where do the 1% around the world want to live? Anywhere close to the water.

Luxury buyers in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K., Brazil, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, China, Australia, New Zealand, as well as those in Caribbean and Central America all searched predominantly for waterfront properties on sothebysrealty.com.

But high-end buyers from Spain, Venezuela, and Mexico were all more likely to look for mountain mansions. Russia was a major outlier, with its wealthy residents searching for countryside properties 83% of the time.

The survey was sent to Sotheby’s International Realty's affluent consumers over 25 years old all over the world, from the U.S. to China, between January 28 and February 18, 2014. Search data came from sothebysrealty.com using Google Website Analytics between January 1, 2013 and January 1, 2014. You can read more about the methodology here.

SEE ALSO: Buy The Most Expensive Home In Las Vegas For $38 Million

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Sanford I. Weill and his wife, Joan, are über New Yorkers. Known as Sandy, he is the former head of Citigroup and the longtime chairman of Carnegie Hall. She chairs Manhattan’s Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Then there is the city’s Weill Cornell Medical College, to which they have donated many millions of dollars. That being said, the Brooklyn-born philanthropists have succumbed to Northern California’s allure and put down roots in Sonoma Valley.

Situated on some 360 rolling acres that include a vineyard—the 2012 Weill a Way red received a 94 on Robert Parker’s 100-point index of excellence—the Weills’ compound is at the end of a vertiginous drive that meanders through fields of sprightly California poppies and live oaks. "We visited in August, four years ago, and the gardeners handed me a plum and a white peach," Joan recalls of their first encounter with the property. "Then the brokers brought us back one night and lit an outdoor fire. That clinched the deal." A year later the couple put their Central Park West penthouse on the market and started packing.

Conceived in the 1990s by Walker & Moody Architects, the firm that masterminded the Auberge du Soleil resort in nearby Rutherford, the Sonoma estate suggests an ancestral enclave in Tuscany. Italian terra-cotta tiles sheathe the higgledy-piggledy roofline of the two-bedroom main residence. A covered breezeway connects that building to a four-bedroom guesthouse—equipped with an indoor pool and a wine library—added by the Weills. There’s also a walled garden overflowing with old-fashioned roses, courtesy of the landscape architect Mai K. Arbegast, who devised the verdant grounds for the property’s previous owners.

To update the interiors, the Weills relied on designer Mica Ertegun, who began working with them on various homes eight years ago. "We were a little intimated by her back then," Sandy says. "Her reputation is so big." Today she is the Weills’ aesthetic alter ego, her portfolio including the couple’s former New York apartment and their villa in the Bahamas. Not only does the decorator share "very similar tastes," with her clients, she describes them admiringly as people who "appreciate that every corner of a home needs to be looked at."

Taking pride of place in the Sonoma main house’s sun-splashed entrance gallery is a 1940s Fernand Léger mosaic whose brilliant blues, yellows, oranges, greens, and reds dance against a light-ocher wall. To accommodate two of the couple’s Thomas Hart Benton paintings, the living room’s carved overmantel was removed, one of several architectural adjustments that Ertegun and John Schaberg, a senior project director at her firm, MAC II, made to the dwelling and its outbuildings. "I’m not a collector," Sandy says modestly. "But I know what I like." And what he likes encompasses everything from the languorous fashion illustration that hangs in the soothingly neutral master bedroom to the giant outdoor sculptures of pink and red roses by Will Ryman. (The overscale blooms were part of a public-art commission installed along ten blocks of Park Avenue in 2011.) When the Weills shop for art, Joan says they both have "the right of refusal"—though, her husband laughingly admits, in the case of the Léger, she lost.

See more of the stunning home >

More From Architectural Digest:

Tom Brady & Gisele Bündchen's Custom Château 

Ralph Lauren Shows off His Many Homes 

Sandy Weill's Wine Country Estate 

The World's Most Radical Houses

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There are a ton of homes on the market that would make any sci-fi fan jump.

Our friends at Estately helped us find a handful of houses currently for sale that look straight out of "Lord of the Rings."

They range from sprawling landscapes and castles to cottages that could have been plucked from The Shire.

This California house has an intricately carved "dragon" staircase.

Address: South Coast, Calif.

Price: $4.75 million

Aside from the carved redwood Dragon staircase, this ocean-view home features curved redwood walls, a stone fireplace, stained glass, and guest cottages.

A forest-themed bathroom will make you feel like you're wandering the woods of Lothlórien.

Address: Parkland, Fla.

Price: $2.7 million

This custom-built residence sits on 2.5 acres of landscaped gardens complete with lighted tennis court and rock pool with fountains. It also comes with a home theater, re-claimed wood beams & trusses, and a handpainted bathroom with a bronze sculptured sink.

This castle has pointy towers and property with waterfalls and lakes.

Address: Cornwall, Conn.

Price: $8.85 million

This 8,412 square foot house has 7 beds and 7.3 baths. The property includes a fortress-like wall, guest cottage, pool, and as plenty of land with trails, lakes, and waterfalls.