The Future Spaces Foundation (FSF) has just published a report on the potential that "garden cities" might have in fighting the current shortage of houses in Britain. 

Britain's population has grown fast in the last 15 years, at an annual rate of more than 0.5% since the year 2000. In 2007 the Government set a target to build 2 million houses before 2016, but the economic crisis made this plan impossible to deliver. When the new Parliament started in 2010, the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit recommended that almost 300,000 new houses should be built every year until 2031, totaling almost 6 million houses. 

"Garden cities" have often been advocated as the solution for the country's chronic house crisis. Garden cities are new urban settlements built in the countryside, with extensive green areas between the rows of houses. One example of a garden city, built at the beginning of the 20th century, is Letchworth in Hertfordshire. 

According to the foundation, solving the housing shortage of London alone would require up to 67 new garden cities of 30,000 people each. 

The foundation illustrated this impossible solution in this map, in which every little red and blue dot is the location of a potential garden city:

The report states that building the 1 million homes that London currently needs completely through garden cities would take 675 km² of land. That's about 6.8% of unprotected, unbuilt-on land within a 50 mile radius of London.

The foundation proposes instead that we should keep urban and non-urban areas clearly separated, and to densify the current cities and towns rather than opening up new construction zones across the countryside.  Ken Shuttleworth, the chairman of the Future Spaces Foundation, says:

If you look at our major cities they are low density compared to global cities, and I include London in that. Rather than default to the path of least resistance and build on greenfield land we need a change of mindset. Dense cities are efficient, vibrant and with clever design can also be attractive places to live.

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A developer in China built an entire 57-story mixed-use building brick by prefabricated brick at a rate of three full stories a day. The building took only 19 days to complete, according to Gizmodo.

The building has 800 apartments and enough office space for 4,000 people. It was originally planned to be built up to a height of 220 stories, but it was cut down because of concern it was too close to a nearby airport.

The prefab construction is also environmentally friendly, as large sections of the building were built off-site and taken to the building site to be stacked on top of each other. This significantly reduced the number of trips needed to transport the raw materials.

The building was also constructed with China's pollution problem in mind, using quadruple-thick glass and tight "99.9% sealed" construction.

Check out the full promotional video of the building's construction below.

SEE ALSO: This futuristic floating city could become a reality in China

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If one of the following words accurately describes your home, you might want to consider adding it to your listing.

1. Luxurious

As mentioned above, lower-priced listings with the word "luxurious" sold for 8.2% more on average than expected.

"Luxurious" signals that a home's finishes and amenities are high-end. This is a huge selling point, particularly in this price range.

2. Captivating

Top-tier listings described as "captivating" sold for 6.5% more on average than expected. Unlike the word "nice,""captivating" provides a richer, more enticing description for buyers.

Plus, it's less open to interpretation. Anything can be seen as "nice," but "captivating" sets a high bar.

3. Impeccable

On average, listings in the bottom tier with the word "impeccable" sold for 5.9% more than expected. Like "captivating,""impeccable" is a rich adjective.

It also implies something about the quality of a home: The features are desirable and the home is move-in ready.

4. Stainless

"Stainless" is typically used to describe kitchens with "stainless steel appliances." It's in your favor to talk up these features in your listing — especially if your home is in the bottom price tier. In our analysis, lower-priced homes with the word "stainless" sold for 5% more on average than expected.

5. Basketball

On average, lower-priced homes with the word "basketball" sold for 4.5% more than expected. This may seem like an odd word to include in this list, but when you consider the context it makes sense. Among lower-priced homes, a basketball court — or even better, an indoor basketball court — is a huge selling point. While it may not stand out as much among higher-priced homes, it's definitely worth mentioning in this price range.

6. Landscaped

It's just as valuable to describe your yard as your house. In all price tiers, listings with the word "landscaped" sold for more than expected on average. The biggest premium was seen among lower-priced listings, which on average sold for 4.2% more than expected.

7. Granite

In the same vein as "stainless,""granite" is typically used to describe countertops or another high-end home feature. Listings with the word "granite" sold, on average, for 1 to 4% more than expected across all price tiers.

8. Pergola

Not only should you include high-end home features in your listing description, you should also mention features not found in every home. They'll help your listing stand out, especially if buyers are searching for homes online by keyword. The data shows mid-priced listings with the word "pergola" sold for 4% more on average than expected.

9. Remodel

Was your home recently remodeled? It may be worth mentioning. On average, bottom-tier listings with the word "remodel" sold for 2.9% more, middle-tier homes for 1.8% more and top-tier homes for 1.7% more than expected.

10. Beautiful

While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, a beautiful feature like a view may be worth noting. Lower-priced listings with the word "beautiful" sold for 2.3% more on average than expected.

11. Gentle

"Gentle" may seem like a weird adjective to have in a listing description. It's typically used to describe "gentle rolling hills" or something about a home's location. Top-tier listings with the word "gentle" sold for 2.3% more, on average, than expected.

12. Spotless

You may think all homes are spotless when a buyer moves in, so it's not worth mentioning in a listing. But when it comes to lower-priced homes, cleanliness isn't always a given. In this price range, listings described as "spotless" sold for 2% more on average than expected.

13. Tile

Much like "stainless" and "granite,""tile" is a great word when it comes to describing the features of your home. A newly tiled backsplash or updated bathroom tile not only indicates a home's aesthetic value but also sends a message to buyers that the home's been well cared for by the current owners. Bottom-tier homes with the word "tile" in the listing sold for 2% more on average than expected.

14. Upgraded

On average, lower-priced listings with the word "upgraded" sold for 1.8% more than expected. Most buyers will agree that upgrades are a selling point. They indicate a home not only looks nice but also functions well. Spelling out which features have been updated is a good approach, so buyers have the right expectations when they see your home.

15. Updated

"Updated" sends a similar message to "upgraded." But in addition to speaking to the quality of a home, it signals that something old has been replaced with something new. This is a great fact to communicate to potential buyers, as evidenced by the data. Mid-priced homes with "updated" in the listing sold for 0.8% more on average than expected.

SEE ALSO: 10 Reasons Your Home Isn't Selling

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When James Paine was 20 years old, he made the bold decision to drop out of college.

"All of my friends and family thought I had lost my mind," he tells Business Insider. "I told them I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I tried college but I just kept thinking to myself, 'I need to be out there, starting businesses and getting hands-on experience.' I decided sitting in a classroom wasn't for me, and I would try my hand at entrepreneurship."

Paine, a Santa Barbara, California, native, has dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur since he was just five years old.

"It was around that time that I successfully started, and ran, a business renting out my pets to the neighbors," he says. "After a successful exit, I was on to my next venture: selling candy to kids at surf camp. This is what my life was made of as a kid — not LEGOs and G.I. figurines. Business was my lifeblood, my constant preoccupation. I was constantly coming up with ideas and projects that I could use to make money."

Of course at that age, income was secondary. "I found coming up with an idea out of thin air, and using it to create solutions, to be far more exciting than anything I had ever experienced," he says.

But as a teenager, Paine was convinced that in order to be successful, he'd need to earn a college degree. "So I worked hard in school and made my way into college."

Something was missing, though. So in 2007, Paine dropped out of California Polytechnic State University and decided to get into real estate.

"I was very interested in it and liked how entrepreneurial the business was," he says. "I realized early on that it involved a lot of hard work and problem solving skills. So I got my real estate license, and then went door-to-door offering my services of buying and selling houses." 

Paine spent three years knocking on doors every day "until my knuckles bled" and by age 21, he had sold over $15 million in real estate on his own.  

"With all the information I was getting, and all that I was learning, I realized I knew more about real estate than a lot of people," he recalls. "This was the time to make a big move."

So he did.

Paine launched West Realty Advisors in 2009 at the age of 23. "The goal was to use my knowledge of the real estate industry to provide returns to my investors," he explains. "It was my first hedge fund."

The first few years were challenging, he says. But today his company, which invests in residential redevelopment projects, is on the track to exceed $30 million in revenue. "We have bought, renovated and sold over 1,000 homes in 26 states and have employed hundreds of people," Paine says.

"I don't recommend every entrepreneur out there to drop out of college. There is nothing wrong with college and a lot of good can come from the experience, as well as the knowledge that you get there. For me, though, the decision to quit has paid off."

Here are seven key things Paine has learned from dropping out of college to start a hedge fund:

1. It's not like what you see on TV. 

"Television often portrays entrepreneurs as rich, carefree, and wild," Paine says. "This is not an accurate description. Reality is much harder to swallow."

For most entrepreneurs, struggle is constant, he explains. "They live on couches and eat Ramen noodles every day before they get successful. Sure, for those who persevere and are smart enough, success does come, but there is no instant formula for it, and the hard work simply cannot be discounted."

2. It's not all about money.

Of course making millions is a nice reward, but if you start a business with the sole purpose of making money, your chances of success will be limited, he says.

3. You have to be ready to fight.

"Every day will be a new challenge … a new obstacle," says Paine. "You have to do whatever it takes to overcome it." 

4. It's hard to take care of yourself. 

When you are in the middle of a struggling business, it's hard to take time for personal development and your health. "Accept this truth and you will be well on your way," he suggests. "This is one of the best things you can do to help overcome obstacles. It's the ultimate cheat."

5. Plan on plans not working.

"Yes, business plans are helpful," he says, "but I don't know a single entrepreneur who has written a business plan and had it turn out exactly as they expected." Whenever you make a plan, plan for it to change.

6. Learn everything.

"I read over 50 books per year just to maintain an edge," he says. "If I read for ten hours and learn one new thing that can make me more money, it is always worth the time."

Pain recommends speaking with and learning from as many people as you possibly can. "Committing yourself to learning is the best way to guarantee success," he adds. "As my mentor taught me, focus on 'ABL' — Always Be Learning. Commit yourself to this and success will soon follow." 

7. Relationships are everything.

Focus on building long-term and mutually beneficial relationships, he advises. "While you may not need that person today, you would be very surprised how often or how badly you may need them a few years later. Making yourself the person who can connect two people makes you highly valuable." 

Of course, these aren't the only things Paine has learned; "this list could go on and on for pages," he says. "These are simply the top seven things that I wish I had known before I started on this journey."

SEE ALSO: These young entrepreneurs got a loan from billionaire Richard Branson — here's how

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It's always a good idea to buy less house than you can afford .

Aside from your monthly mortgage payment, you also have to have cash at the ready for a down payment, which is usually 20% of the home's price.

And there's one more cost that's easy for homebuyers to overlook: closing costs.

Nicole Lapin, author of "Rich Bitch: A Simple 12 Step Plan for Getting Your Financial Life Together ... Finally," refers to closing costs as "the zinger beyond having the money for the house itself."

According to Lapin, ideally, you should set aside 3% of the purchase price of your home — in addition to your down payment — to go towards closing costs.

So what actually are closing costs? Here's Lapin's breakdown.

Lawyer's fees. Lapin says that while not everyone will need a lawyer when buying a home — there are only about 10 states that actually require buyers to have a lawyer, and they're mostly in the Northeast — it can be a good idea.

Especially if the sale is particularly complicated, or if your real estate agent isn't the most savvy,  "... you may need to hire a real estate attorney to draw up contracts and negotiate terms with the seller (or the seller's attorney)."

Title insurance. The author says title insurance is the main reason you might need a real estate attorney. Lapin writes, "It's insurance for the amount of the mortgage loan, and it protects the lending financial institution's investment." Title insurance also insures the homeowner for the price of their home.

Home appraisal fees. Lapin advises knowing the true value of your home before you make the decision to purchase it. How do you figure that out? "Hire a third-party appraiser to check it out and determine the actual value," she writes.

Property survey fee. It's important to know where your property starts and where it ends — especially if you're planning on making changes to your new home. "Gotta know where the property line is so you don't piss off your new neighbor when you inadvertently build a fence on his property," Lapin points out.

Home inspection. According to the author, once you sign for your home, you're not only purchasing the home, but you're also purchasing any problems it may have. So it's a good idea to find out about these problems when they're still the seller's and not yours.

"This [home inspection] is to make sure the property is in the condition the seller says it is, and to uncover any potential problems before you sign on the dotted line," Lapin writes.

Pest inspection. This one is pretty self-explanatory. Lapin says that termites and other house-wrecking varmints are "all part of playing house." But the goal is to at least move in to your house termite and varmint-free.

Local property taxes. According to Lapin, these vary widely based on where you choose to live.

Homeowners insurance premium. Lapin compares buying a home with buying a car, in that you won't be able to go through with the purchase if you don't have proof of insurance.

Besides the costs listed above, Lapin says you'll also pay the local sewer fees, local municipality realty transfer fees, and clerk fees for recording the transfer of deed and mortgage — and you might be responsible for some miscellaneous fees, too.

SEE ALSO: Why Most Buyers Should Plan To Live In A New Home For At Least Five Years

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Can architecture be a path into the clouds? Can you sunbathe underground? Is pretty a public amenity? These are just a few of the questions posed by HWKN architect and Architizer.com co-founder Marc Kushner in his new book, The Future of Architecture in 100 Buildings (Simon & Schuster; $17). An offshoot of Kushner’s TED talk “30 Years of Architecture History,” the volume brings together pioneering buildings that push the basic tenets of architecture into the future.

From an air-purifying pavilion in Milan to an egg-shaped pod in Belgium, the collection represents a snapshot (well, 100 snapshots) of today’s architects’ forward-thinking approach to design.

The Hemeroscopium House in Madrid, Spain

For the Hemeroscopium House in Madrid, Spain, Ensamble Studio made use of concrete beams created for highway construction.

Ark Nova, Japan

Ark Nova, an inflatable traveling concert hall developed by Arata Isozaki and Anish Kapoor for post-earthquake Japan, can be installed in just two hours and transported (in its deflated state) by truck.

The China Central Television Headquarters in Beijing, China 

The OMA-designed headquarters for China Central Television (CCTV) is a modern departure from the standard skyscraper.

Favela Santa Marta in  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 

In 2010 Dutch artists Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn transformed Rio de Janeiro’s Santa Marta favela with an electrifying paint job.

Rest stop in Batumi, Georgia

This is not your typical rest stop. The striking gas station and McDonald’s by Giorgi Khmaladze Architects in Batumi, Georgia, also boasts a public park and reflecting pool.

Mapungubwe National Park in Limpopo, South Africa

Peter Rich Architects collaborated with local laborers to build the visitor center at Mapungubwe National Park in Limpopo, South Africa. Referencing a 600-year-old construction technique, they created the curvaceous façade by using 200,000 pressed soil tiles.

Metropol Parasol in Seville, Spain

Metropol Parasol, a raised, ameba-shaped public space by J. Mayer H. in Seville, Spain, protects Roman ruins that were discovered during the construction of a bus station.

Treehotel in Harads, Sweden

A mirrored treehotel in Harads, Sweden, by Tham & Videgård Arkitekter disappears amid the forest.

The Alcabideche Social Complex, Portugal

The residences in the Alcabideche Social Complex, a retirement home developed by Guedes Cruz Architects in Portugal, light up at night to allow residents to remain out and about. If an emergency arises, an alarm is triggered that turns the façade bright red.

Newtown Creek, New York City 

For Newtown Creek—a wastewater treatment plant in New York City—the city tapped Ennead Architects to design a structure that wouldn’t become an instant eyesore to its residential Brooklyn neighborhood.

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The Future Spaces Foundation (FSF) has just published a report on the potential that "garden cities" might have in fighting the current shortage of houses in Britain. 

Britain's population has grown fast in the last 15 years, at an annual rate of more than 0.5% since the year 2000. In 2007 the Government set a target to build 2 million houses before 2016, but the economic crisis made this plan impossible to deliver. When the new Parliament started in 2010, the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit recommended that almost 300,000 new houses should be built every year until 2031, totalling almost 6 million houses. 

"Garden cities" have often been advocated as the solution for the country's chronic house crisis. Garden cities are new urban settlements built in the countryside, with extensive green areas between the rows of houses. One example of a garden city, built at the beginning of the 20th century, is Letchworth in Hertfordshire. 

According to the foundation, solving the housing shortage of London alone would require up to 67 new garden cities of 30,000 people each. 

The foundation illustrated this impossible solution in this map, in which every little red and blue dot is the location of a potential garden city:

The report states that building the 1 million homes that London currently needs completely through garden cities would take 675 km² of land. That's about 6.8% of unprotected, unbuilt-on land within a 50 mile radius of London.

The foundation proposes instead that we should keep urban and non-urban areas clearly separated, and to densify the current cities and towns rather than opening up new construction zones across the countryside.  Ken Shuttleworth, the chairman of the Future Spaces Foundation, says:

If you look at our major cities they are low density compared to global cities, and I include London in that. Rather than default to the path of least resistance and build on greenfield land we need a change of mindset. Dense cities are efficient, vibrant and with clever design can also be attractive places to live.

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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The arrest of Robert Durst, a wealthy eccentric linked to two killings and his wife's disappearance, came just before the finale in an HBO show called "The Jinx" about his life in which he said he "killed them all."

In the finale that aired Sunday evening on HBO, Durst was asked about similarities in handwriting in a letter he wrote and another linked to one of the killings. Later, filmmakers said Durst wore his microphone into the bathroom.

What followed was a bizarre rambling in which Durst said, apparently to himself, "There it is. You're caught" and "What the hell did I do? Killed them all of course."

The show ended, and it wasn't clear whether producers confronted Durst about the secretly recorded words, or what Durst meant by them.

Durst was arrested by FBI agents Saturday at a New Orleans hotel, on a warrant from Los Angeles for the murder of Susan Berman 15 years ago.

Los Angeles prosecutors reopened the case into the Berman murder after Durst agreed to interviews with the filmmakers behind "The Jinx."

In recent weeks, prosecutors in Los Angeles, Westchester, New York, and the FBI have been questioning witnesses in the death of Berman and the 1982 disappearance of Kathleen McCormack, according to the New York Post.

The climatic scene in "The Jinx" was brought about after the filmmakers obtained a letter written by Durst to Berman. They then compared the handwriting in that letter to an anonymous note sent to the Beverly Hills police on the day Berman was shot, announcing the presence of a "cadaver" in Berman's home.  

The forensic document examiner brought on by the filmmakers concluded that the letter could have only been written by Durst. Both letters contain a misspelling of Beverly Hills as "Beverley."

After the interview, Durst went to the bathroom with his mic still attached, muttering his now infamous admission. It wasn't until two years later that the filmmakers discovered Durst's audio from the bathroom.

The filmmakers have been speaking with prosecutors in Los Angeles since 2013. Nonetheless, it is unclear if Durst's recorded comments in the bathroom will be admissable in court.

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More evidence real estate prices in New York are insane: A ground floor apartment in Tribeca with few traditional windows is on the market for $10.6 million, according to Curbed.

There is a giant skylight allowing some sunshine in, but there are few windows looking out on to the street.

The 4,300 square foot converted commercial space has been updated with all the modern conveniences. It's located in the heart of Tribeca, so you can almost forgive listing price and the fact that it has few windows.

It also has a convenient mixed-use layout if you're the work from home type.

Esther Lixenberg has the listing.

This Tribeca pad isn't your typical sky-high floor duplex apartment.

Instead, it's a 4,300 square foot ground floor windowless converted commercial space. It's multi-use, with space in the rear to be used as a doctor's office or massage parlor.

Well, ok, there are windows — just not in the traditional sense. Skylights make sure the apartment is well-lit, but there are still only a few traditional windows to look out and see the street.

In places like San Francisco and Manhattan, housing prices have soared to record highs, pricing out large swaths of the middle class.

But in parts of the Rustbelt and Sunbelt, home prices have still not fully recovered from the devastating effects of the Great Recession.

With Americans set to spend nearly $10 trillion on housing over the next five years, the question remains: Where are we spending the most, especially when compared to our incomes, to purchase homes?

My Martin Prosperity Institute colleague Charlotta Mellander and I developed a simple metric that allows us to compare the burden of a home purchase across metro areas.

We calculated the number of years’ worth of income, on average, it would take to buy a home in metros across the country. 

To do this, we compared data on the average estimate sale prices of homes in metro areas from Zillow to data on average incomes in those same metro areas for both families and singles from the U.S. Census.

It’s worth noting that our calculations look at the number of years of income it would take to pay for the purchase price of a home, and do not take on the added expense of mortgage interest, which would drive the cost—and number of years it would take to pay for a home—considerably higher. It's also worth noting that this doesn't take into account how most people purchase homes: by saving up a down payment. Instead, this metric is intended as a method of comparing the relative burden of purchasing a home by location.  

While exploring our maps and data, keep in mind the basic rule of thumb used by real estate agents and mortgage dealers around the country: The purchase price of a home should be roughly 2.6 times one’s income.

The first map below, by our MPI colleague Isabel Ritchie, charts the number of years of income it would take for the average household to buy a home in metro areas across the country. The metros where households pay more of their income are in the deepest purple, while those where people pay the least are in light blue.

The metros where households have to devote the most years of income to housing are mostly on the West and East Coasts, in California, Washington State, Oregon and Arizona, and across the Boston-Washington corridor. Housing is also pricey in terms of years of income in college towns like Boulder, Colorado (5.3), Eugene, Oregon (4.9), Ithaca, New York (4.0), State College, Pennsylvania (3.8), and Ann Arbor, Michigan (3.8).

The table below lists the ten metros where housing costs the most in years of income. Nine of the ten are in California, the exception being Honolulu. In these locations, the price of a home is equivalent to about seven years of income. In the top three metros, the price of a home equals roughly nine years of income. Nearly six in ten of the metros where it takes more than five years’ of income to buy a home are in California.

Metros where it takes the most years of income to buy a home

Los Angeles jumps to the top of the list when we look only at large metros (those with over a million people). In addition to the usual California metros, New York, Boston, Seattle and Portland join the ranks of the ten most expensive housing markets. It would take more than four years for the average household to buy a home in Miami (4.4 years of income), Denver (4.4), Providence (4.2) and Washington, D.C. (4.0).

Large metros where it takes the most years of income to buy a home(Metros with over one million people)

Now look at the places where housing is the least expensive. In these places, households would have to devote less than double their income for a home. It’s a veritable who’s who of hard-hit Rustbelt metros.

Metros where it takes the least years of income to buy a home

When we look at large metros, the list is also dominated by Rustbelt locations, as the table below shows.

Large metros where it takes the least years of income to buy a home(Metros with over one million people)

But there are some surprises. While urban economists often argue that housing is more affordable in sprawling Sunbelt cities with looser land use regulations and where it is easier to build out rather than up, it costs more in terms of years of income to buy a house in Phoenix (3.8) or Las Vegas (3.6) than in Austin (3.6) or Chicago (3.1).

Year to pay for a home: Singles 

Now let’s take a look at the patterns for singles. The number of Americans living by themselves has doubled since 1960, to 28 percent. Whereas households can often combine multiple incomes to buy homes, single households are by definition dependent on one income stream.

Singles face a great housing burden. It takes the average household 3.3 years to save up for a home, but the average single can expect to spend 6.1 annual paychecks to do the same.

The same bicoastal pattern comes through again, only more pronounced, in the map below. The most expensive metros are along the West Coast, in California, Oregon, Washington State and Arizona, and throughout the Boston-NYC-Washington corridor in the East. Honolulu is pricey, as are college towns like Boulder, Colorado (11.0), Eugene, Oregon (9.6), State College, Pennsylvania (7.7), Ann Arbor, Michigan (7.3), Ithaca, New York (6.9) and Madison, Wisconsin (6.8)

In the priciest metros, again most of them in California, it would take singles a staggering 15 to 20 years of income to buy a home, as the table below shows.

Metros where it takes the most years of income for singles to buy a home

When we look only at large metros, San Francisco jumps to the top of the list, and New York, Boston, Seattle and Providence join the pricey California metros. Singles would have to devote roughly eight years of income to buy a home in Portland (8.4), Denver (7.8) or Miami (7.6).

Large metros where it takes the most years of income for singles to buy a home(Metros with over one million people)

Troublingly, housing remains a pricey proposition for singles even in the most affordable of metros. As the table below shows, even in these places, the price of a home is equivalent to 2.5 to 3.5 years of singles’ incomes.

Metros where it takes the least years of income for singles to buy a home

When we turn to large metros, a combination of Rustbelt and Sunbelt locations jump to the fore: Memphis, Detroit, and Cleveland of the former, Houston, Oklahoma City, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Atlanta among the latter. Still, even in these places, singles must use the equivalent of four years’ of income to buy a home.

Large metros where it takes the least years of income for singles to buy a home(Metros with over one million people)

Again there are some surprises: It would take fewer years of work for the average single to buy an average home in Washington, D.C. (6.5), than in Baltimore (6.7) or Philadelphia (6.7). It would take about a year less work for the average single to buy a home in Chicago (5.8) than Phoenix (6.6). It takes slightly less work for the average single to buy a home in Austin (6.0) than Milwaukee (6.3)

Housing is the single most important and most expensive financial decision most Americans make. And in many places it is increasingly a financial burden. Maybe it’s time we ask ourselves a basic question: How many years of your working life do you want to devote to paying for your home? It depends on where you choose to live.

SEE ALSO: The 10 most miserable states in America

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Every wonder what luxury real estate listings look like across all 50 states? 

Based off data from Zillow and MSN, Jody Sieradzki created this infographic that maps out the most expensive home for sale in every state across America. 

The most expensive home for sale in the US is in California. The $195 million Beverly Hills mansion is known as the “Palazzo di Amore,” and was built by real estate mogul Jeff Greene specifically for hosting parties. 

Florida has the second priciest home in America, with a French-inspired mansion for sale for $139 million. 

Check it out the rest of the states below. 

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Another giant Chinese real estate developer is in trouble.

Evergrande Real Estate Group, one of the country's largest developers, will receive more than $16 billion in credit lines from Chinese banks, the New York Times reported Tuesday.

As prices fall and housing units remain empty, real estate developers are having trouble paying back debt. Evergrande, while one of China's biggest developers, has also racked up one of the highest levels of debt, much of it from foreign investors.

But according to analysts cited in the article, the billion-dollar lifeline is only a short-term solution as China's housing market continues its downward spiral.

According to the New York Times, Evergrande's debt reached about $24 billion by the end of June, plus another $7 billion in perpetual bonds marked as equity. Company sales last year reached about $20 billion.

Earlier this year, another prominent developer Kaisa Group Holdings defaulted with more than $10 billion in debt and had $2 billion in assets frozen. 

The $16.2 billion in credit will come from Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, Postal Savings Bank of China, and China Minsheng Bank.

Read the full story at the New York Times >>

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Deciding where to live can be hard.

You are probably thinking about proximity to work, to family, friends or significant others, as well as food options, climate, travel accessibility, crime rate, education, culture and of course — affordability.

We all know that living within our means is important to maintaining good financial health, but figuring how to do that is not easy.

It's important to figure out how much home you can realistically afford with your personal financial circumstances and consider the 30% rule.

Generally speaking, experts advise not shelling out more than a third of your total income for shelter. And location affordability goes much further than the negotiated price a homebuyer agrees to pay the seller. It's a good idea to take a holistic approach to find the most affordable housing markets in the country.

Check out the factors that define housing affordability and vary by location below.

Closing costs

Closing costs are the fees charged by the lender and third-party service providers to make a home sale official. Homebuyers pay lender and origination charges, settlement services, escrow and more to make the process legally documented. These are the last costs you incur before you get the keys. Most advisers estimate the costs to fall between 2% and 5% of the home's value.

Property tax

Property taxes are your annual offering to the local government for your home or property in exchange for public works and education. These vary greatly by jurisdiction, but you can compare how good the schools are, how safe the area is with the tax cost to see if you are willing to pay the taxes for what you get.

Homeowner's insurance

Homeowner's insurance can actually be a demanding portion of your budget. Your mortgage lender will require that you purchase homeowner's insurance. As there are several different policy options, it's a good idea to ask your insurance provider the right questions to be sure you are properly covered.

Mortgage payment

The amount you pay toward a home loan each month is not just tied to the value of your home. Your credit score, the length of the loan, your down payment, the interest rate and loan type will all factor in to what you pay. You can check your credit scores for free on Credit.com to see how they affect your mortgage payment.

Cost of living

From price of milk in the grocery store and the cost of a night on the town to average wage and the unemployment rate, every town, city or rural area has a different cost of living. When figuring out where to live, it's important to consider the monthly costs outside of mortgage payments to accurately decide if a certain location is affordable for you.

Before you pick up and move, it's important to make sure your housing costs won't max you out from feeding and clothing yourself — or saving for retirement and reaching other important financial, social and career goals.

More from Credit.com

• How Much House Can You Afford?
• How to Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage
• Why You Should Check Your Credit Before Buying a Home

SEE ALSO: Your down payment isn't the only cash you need ready to buy a home

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Gary Barnett’s Extell Development was hit with a stop-work order at One57 after a 4-by-4 sheet of Plexiglas fell from the building over the weekend, hitting two parked cars.

No one was injured.

The Plexiglas fell at 5:15 p.m. on Sunday night, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

The incident marks the third time that glass or plexiglas has fallen from the luxury tower, which is expected to complete construction within a few months.

In late February, glass from One57 landed on a neighbor’s terrace, and last May, a windowpane also fell from the 22nd floor, landing in the street.

“We have been miraculously lucky that there hasn’t been any casualties or serious injuries,” Layla Law-Gisiko, who heads the local community board’s task force about concerns that Billionaires’ Row towers are casting shadows over the park, told the Journal. 

“Glass is not falling from the building nor are windows falling from the building,” a spokesperson for Extell and its construction manager Lend Lease said.

“This was a straight piece of Plexiglas, not glass related to the curved facade, which became dislodged.”

In January, the Department of Buildings issued a stop-work order at Macklowe Properties’  432 Park Avenue after an eight-foot-long pipe fell from the 81st story. 

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While the median home value in the United States is $178,500, in some metropolitan areas, this might only get you a fixer-upper or a tiny condo — if you’re lucky.

However, in many locales, this amount can get you a house that is move-in ready, with all the comforts you could hope for. Take a look at 10 homes priced around $175,000 in metropolitan areas across the country.

Memphis, TN

2289 Lovitt Dr, Memphis, TN
For sale: $168,900This impressive 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom colonial home has an exquisitely designed interior, with all the bells and whistles: new light fixtures, fresh paint, an updated kitchen with new tile floors and backsplash, and hardwood floors throughout.

See more homes for sale in Memphis.

Saint Paul, MN

536 Smith Ave S, Saint Paul, MN
For sale: $174,900

Built in 1911, this 4-bedroom, 1-bathroom home has turn-of-the-century allure, with large windows, crown molding and hardwood floors. The home has been updated with an elegant color scheme, and the kitchen has received new stainless steel appliances.

See more Saint Paul homes for sale.

Shreveport, LA

528 Slattery Blvd, Shreveport, LA
For sale: $174,500This charming, 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom home features a built-in bookcase, crown-molded fireplace, and stainless steel kitchen appliances. Hardwood and tile floors throughout add to this home’s elegance.

See more homes listed in Shreveport.

Kansas City, MO

1010 NE 107th St, Kansas City, MO
For sale: $175,000This well-maintained 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home has received an exterior and interior facelift. Updates include new exterior paint, two-tiered deck, windows, granite counter tops, light fixtures and flooring.

See more homes for sale in Kansas City.

Boise, ID

1010 S Phillippi St, Boise, ID
For sale: $162,000Perched on a lush landscape, this 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom home with an east-facing backyard is a gardener’s dream. The interior is bright and quaint, with hardwood floors, colorful tiles, and a pastel-hued color scheme.

See more Boise homes for sale.

Springfield, MA

78 California Ave, Springfield, MA
For sale: $159,900Located on a tree-lined street, this adorable 2-bedroom, 1.5-bath home has gorgeous hardwood floors and crown molding. The kitchen has received updates but still maintains its vintage charm.

See more homes listed in Springfield.

Birmingham, AL

4708 Bankhead Ct, Birmingham, AL
For sale: $169,900Located at the end of a cul-de-sac with a fenced yard and spacious deck, this 3-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom home allows you to enjoy privacy. The main level of the home has an open concept design and hardwood floors throughout.

See more homes for sale in Birmingham.

Oklahoma City, OK

2136 NW 12th St, Oklahoma City, OK
For sale: $159,900Built in 1928, this 3-bedroom, 1-bath home boasts original woodwork and hardwood floors. Modern updates include a kitchen with all new cabinets, stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, and a glass tile backsplash.

See more Oklahoma City homes for sale.

Columbia, SC

459 Hilltop Pl, Columbia, SC
For sale: $169,000This 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom bungalow boasts an inviting front porch and a relaxing back deck. The expansive kitchen has mahogany-stained cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and granite counter tops.

See more homes listed in Columbia.

Evansville, IN

415 Brookview Dr, Evansville, IN
For sale: $174,900This incredibly spacious 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom home offers 2,608 square feet of interior space and a gigantic backyard. Plenty of cabinetry is found in the kitchen, as well as an electric cook top and wall oven.

See more homes for sale in Evansville.

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Warmer climes bring thoughts of summer getaways, and though Hamptons haters abound, there's no denying the call of the East End. 

A mere mention of the place can connote Gatsby (or Gossip Girl)-level opulence, but as long as there have been share houses or people willing to sleep four to a bed,  the non-millionaires among us have been finding ways to stake out  spots in Long Island's most hyped (and expensive) beach towns.

One of the best options for anyone not trying to drop $70K to live in a "quaint" cottage for three months: the short-term rental.

This option has seen its popularity skyrocket in the past few years; HomeAway crunched the numbers for us, and found that between their two sites (the company also owns VRBO), traveler demand in the Hamptons spiked 149 percent between 2009 and 2014, while rental inventory increased by 110 percent over the same period. 

In other words, you'll have lots of options, and lots of competition.

Here's how to handle the hunt for a short-term beach house like a seasoned pro:

WHERE TO LOOK

VRBO and HomeAway are the most popular  sites with Hamptons owners listing their places directly, and Airbnb is gaining traction in the area, as well. "Airbnb doesn't have quite as established a reputation [as the other two sites]," says Douglas Elliman Hamptons broker Jordan Daniel. "It's relatively new and not as popular as it is in the city," though he notes that it's more widely used among younger homeowners and renters.  Prices on these sites range anywhere from around $200 to a few thousand dollars per night, or between a few thousand dollars and nearly $20K for weekly rates, depending on size, amenities and location. Suffice it to say, you can tailor your search to just about any budget or set of needs.

However, there's one major legal caveat to keep in mind:  Technically, rentals of two weeks or under are illegal in most Hamptons hamlets. And in many of these areas, your host also needs a permit for the set-up to be legit. While this rule is difficult to enforce and would primarily cause problems for your landlord, if you're skirting the law, you may well make enemies of the neighbors (particularly if you're just in town for the weekend to throw a raucous party, precisely the kind of thing these laws aim to discourage).

While renters in New York's illegal short-term rental have been known to get booted out in police "raids," a broker who preferred to remain anonymous tells us that they've never seen anything similar happen in the Hamptons, where most of the ire is focused on the wayward landlords. Still, "renters ought to be aware of what the rules are," says Saunders & Associates founder Andrew Saunders. In a statement, HomeAway told us that while "it is the responsibility of the vacation home owner to check with their local municipality on the legality and regulation of home rentals in their area [...] HomeAway requires in our terms and conditions that those advertising on our sites comply with their local regulations." It's also possible to search their listings by minimum stay to ensure that you're complying with the local rules, and if you'd prefer to tread carefully, check into the laws of the specific town you're looking to rent in, and check with your host about their permit status. 

PRO TIPS FOR THE SEARCH

While renters in longer-term setups generally do need to schlep out to Long Island to take a look at prospective properties, those needing shorter stints can handle the hunt from their laptops. "If you're just renting for a week I don't think you have to spend a whole day looking at 15 different houses," says Daniel. If you're not familiar with a particular neighborhood, Google Street View is always a handy way of getting a sense of the area when you can't scope things out in person.

It may also pay off to do research on the landlord to find out if they're experienced in the summer rental game or if this is their first time out of the gate. We recently heard a horror story from a renter who unwittingly stumbled into the middle of a dispute between an inexperienced landlord and the neighbors, who weren't too keen on having short-term renters nearby. Said neighbors decided to "handle" the problem by blasting the same Eminem song on repeat until the police had to intervene (seriously).

In a less extreme example, Citi Habitats broker Kimberly Fisher recounted a recent Hamptons rental—found via Airbnb—from a nervous pair of first-time landlords who were "skittish" about the prospect of renters, and initially tried to keep tabs, calling frequently and requesting names and information about every single guest invited to the house. 

THE ALL-IMPORTANT BEACH PASS

If you're planning on spending time at the beach, keep in mind that most Hamptons beaches require special parking passes, which cost $375 for the season and tend to sell out long before the summer starts. Day passes are available, but tend to sell out first thing in the morning. Check into your town's beach situation before you head out so you can plan accordingly.

It may be even worth trying to work out a deal with the landlord. For instance, when renting out her East Hampton home to a couple who'd applied too late for a parking pass, Keller Williams broker  Adina Azarian included a clause in the arrangement allowing the renters to take her car to and from the beach. As they say, the squeaky wheel gets to the beach.

Failing that—and if you're too far to walk or ride your bike—you can bite the bullet and take cabs to and from the ocean, or opt for a shuttle like The Free Ride, a relatively new option that runs between major neighborhood parking lots and beaches.

Be sure to stay tuned next week for part two of our everything guide to Hamptons rentals, with tips on locking down the longer-term houses (and what neighborhoods are the best bargains). In the meantime, let's drool over a few rentals:

This East Hampton three-bedroom is available for a two-week stay that'll cost you $14,780.

This 4-bedroom house—with large outdoor pool—in Tuckahoe, south of the highway and near Southampton, will cost $10K for a two week summer stay (and about half that much in the off-season).

For renters who prioritize a good backyard barbecue, this Sag Harbor 4-bedroom (complete with pool, hot tub, and backyard grilling patio) is asking $11,000 for a two-week stay.

This 3-bedroom East Hampton house comes with an in-ground, heated outdoor pool, as well as amenities like cable, wifi, and lawn service included. A two week stay costs between $6,000 and $8,000.

Related: 

• Is the North Fork still the affordable anti-Hamptons hot spot?
• The Real Housewives' Luann De Lesseps on summer hosting and where to shop home decor
• The price of a Manhattan one-bedroom goes surprisingly far in the Hamptons
• The Bronx's seaside oasis: City Island
• I'm looking to buy a summer place in the Rockaways. What do I need to know?

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Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick finally sold their Greenwich Village townhouse, getting $19.95 million for it, according to The Real Deal.

The historic house was originally put on the market in 2012 for $25 million, but the couple later delisted it before putting it back up for sale in September for $22 million. The celebrity couple bought the place in 2011 for $19 million.

The 6,800-square-foot townhouse, which is located on East 10th Street, has five bedrooms, seven fireplaces, a landscaped garden, and a hand-carved stone tub.

Alyson Penn contributed to this story.

Welcome to Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's 25-foot-wide Greenwich Village townhouse.

The bottom floor, or garden floor, includes an eat-in kitchen characterized by walnut and stainless steel.

The dining room contains direct access to the split-level garden.

Is the New York Times Real Estate section trying to foment class war?

This has always been my theory, given some of over-the-top quotes that get printed in the section.

Take, for instance, an excerpt from this week's story on young children who "are doing everything but writing the check" on their parents' multi-million dollar real estate purchases:

Mr. van Merkensteijn, an investor, told his son [Skye, 13] he couldn’t afford a $14 million apartment. As for Mrs. van Merkensteijn, if you wanted her to leave the family’s eight-room apartment at the Beresford on Central Park West, she said, you were going to have to carry her out. In a box.

Still, for a lark the couple strolled over to check out their son’s find, which, in addition to the pool and an expansive terrace, had bedazzling views of the Hudson and the Palisades. “We looked at each other and said, ‘This is unbelievable,’ ” Mrs. van Merkensteijn recalled. “The idea that you could own a place like this in New York City was amazing.”

Skye came along to the closing a few months later.

Remember, kids, the number one rule of living in New York City: never talk to a NYT real estate reporter.

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Bruce Willis is in contract to buy a $16.995 million duplex on Central Park West, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Willis is purchasing the home from Milwaukee Bucks owner Wesley Edens. 

The duplex has six bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, and gorgeous views of Central Park. Edens told the Journal his family no longer needs the 6,000 square foot space.

Jay Glazer and Landis Hosterman of Compass made the sale.

The 6,000 square-foot home has several living room areas.

Many of the rooms overlook Central Park.

A nice view of trees for a city apartment.

A new report in The New York Times by Joanne Kaufman finds that kids and teens are helping their clueless New York parents find the next family home online.

The children of the families who spoke with The Times ranged from 10 to 15-years-old and were all comfortable finding deals, communicating with brokers, and looking at websites for their future property.

“Perhaps it’s because they’re lured by online images of condo amenities like an indoor pool or a children’s playroom or because they’re fans of ‘Million Dollar Listing New York’ on Bravo,” Kaufman writes.

My colleague Shane Ferro was not so amused. "Is the New York Times Real Estate section trying to foment class war?" she wondered.

But kids helping their busy, tech-illiterate parents find great real estate deals is not a bad idea. They have more time to browse these real estate websites and reach out to brokers than their working parents and it teaches them the ins and outs of real estate, taxes, and responsibility.

Plus, with how tech-focused apartment searching has become, it makes sense to have tech-savvy millennials searching through the thousands of listings on Trulia, Zillow, and Streeteasy.

It’s also a useful tool for foreign buyers who may not understand the culture or language as well as their children. “There are international buyers who want to buy a pied-à-terre or want to buy an apartment for investment purposes, but they’re not familiar with the New York market and don’t speak English very well,” Bruce Ehrmann, an associate broker with Douglas Elliman Real Estate, told The Times.

Most of the parents The Times spoke with even said their son or daughter understood the family price point, though a few admitted to going outside of the budget to nab their dream home.

But ultimately, it’s a way for the parents to bond with their child.

“I’m seeing this trend where parents are coming in to look at my listings and proudly announcing that it was their son or daughter who found it,” Bonnie Hut Yaseen, an associate broker at Fox Residential, told The Times. “They’re finding an unexpected resource in their children.”

Read the full New York Times profile here.

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