Estimating your home's value can be tricky — but doing it well can make a big difference in how quickly you are able to sell your home.

When you are trying to attract buyers for your home, pricing and packaging are more important.

Depending on your mortgage situation and your specific home, you can get to work setting your house apart in a positive way.

Check out the tips below to help you find that "perfect” price to help your property sell.

Research the area.

It's generally not a good idea to just pick a listing price out of thin air. Doing your homework will help you discover what your home is actually worth. An experienced appraiser or real estate agent can help you with a comparative market analysis to see what sellers near you are getting for their homes.

It is also possible to get some information on your own with the help of sites like Trulia and Zillow. It's important to factor in your individual situation (how soon you want or need to sell for example) as well as statistics and numbers to come to a price range realistic for your neighborhood.

Leave room for negotiation — but don't overreach.

Now that you have found a good range or target number in mind, you can think about the price that will motivate people. You likely don't want to feel like you got less than your home is worth, what you expected or what you could have gotten. At the same time, no buyer wants to overpay. It's a good idea for your price to give both parties a little wiggle room to work with. If you price it too high, you risk being ignored by certain buyers and if it's too low, you risk being disappointed after the sale.

Think like a buyer.

One of the best ways to succeed as a seller is to consider the thoughts of a buyer. In addition to understanding the market and knowing local price points, it's important to consider the time of year. Spring and summer are hot seasons for the housing market because people with children want to get moving before the start of the school year. It's also a good idea to stay informed about interest rates, which can have a big impact on how many potential buyers are out. You can also think about what you value in a home like large yard, updated appliances and room flow. Buyers likely value similar things so talk to your agent about current buyer trends and how to highlight your home's best assets.

When you are putting your home on the market, you may get emotional but it's a good idea to let the facts — and real estate experts — guide your decisions. (And if you will also be buying a new home, it's smart to make sure your own credit is in top shape. You can get a free credit report summary, updated every 30 days, from Credit.com.)

More from Credit.com

• How Selling Your Home Can Impact Your Credit
• How to Close on a Home Without Problems
• How to Get a Home Appraisal & Inspection

SEE ALSO: A former car salesman reveals 4 tricks dealers use to get you to spend — and how to outsmart them

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Everyone seems to be renting these days — even celebrities. 

For $10,000 a night, Mariah Carey is relaxing in a $30 million, oceanfront Mediterranean villa before she jets off to Israel for a late August concert, according to Page Six and the singer's Instagram. She's joined by her billionaire boyfriend, James Packer.

The rental villa is located on Carbon Beach (aka "Billionaires' Beach"), where Carey could run into residents like Jeffrey Katzenberg, David Geffen, Irving Azoff, and Larry Ellison. Carey is renting the villa through Airbnb, an online marketplace that connects travelers and homeowners. 

Keep scrolling for an inside-out tour and check out the listing if you want to be next in line. 

SEE ALSO: Phil Collins just spent $33 million on Jennifer Lopez's former Miami mansion

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French doors, high wooden ceilings, and archways give this four bedroom, four bathroom villa a Mediterranean feel.

The fluid living areas are perfect for hosting happy hours and parties.

Not to mention the entertainment bar, where Carey can entertain her musician friends on the West Coast.

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A Manhattan man is reportedly having a rough time with his $10 million "dream penthouse" loft. But it has nothing to do with the 7,364-square-foot home itself, which was recently featured in HGTV's “Selling New York.’’

Rocco Vogel is reportedly suing the Soho building's ground floor tenant, a Mediterranean restaurant called Pera Soho, for allegedly making a portion of the rooftop common area a bar, according to the New York Post.

Vogel claims that the restaurant's alleged illegal use of the building is keeping him up. The revelers reportedly enjoy the bar's loud music and smoke on the roof — both tobacco and marijuana — way late into the night, making it hard for him and his family to catch some shut-eye.

He told the Post that these "intoxicated" bar goers — on their way to and from the rooftop — have almost gotten off the elevator that leads into his apartment, causing him "fear and apprehension." He also claims they spill drinks and leave refuse in the elevator.

Vogel is asking for damages to the tune of $1.5 million and has named the building's management in the suit. 

SEE ALSO: The 15 most expensive houses for sale in America

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A nearly 800-acre ranch belonging to retired computer scientist and engineer Jim Mitchell and wife Judy Wainwright has come on to the market for $10.95 million, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The ranch, which includes a 9,500-square-foot house inspired by a Frank Lloyd Wright design, is located in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and is a haven for local wildlife like bald eagles and deer.

Mitchell spent decades working with computers and became wealthy enough to buy the ranch and his own plane.

"I got into computers in the early days and wrote my fist line of code in 1962,"he told the WSJ. 

SEE ALSO: Early Uber investor and serial entrepreneur Jason Calacanis is selling his Los Angeles home for $3 million

The home is perched on a hill above an area to the north of Steamboat, called Elk River Valley.

Mitchell and Wainwright purchased the home in 1999. They spent several years constructing the home, which was inspired by a Frank Lloyd Wright design.

"We hiked up there in snowshoes in the winter with the architect and within 15 minutes we said the house has to optimize the views and has to have lots of windows," Mitchell told the WSJ.

Source: WSJ

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San Francisco hasn’t built nearly as much residential development as it ought to have in recent, well, decades.

Lately whatever housing has emerged downtown received an enormous benefit: developers weren’t required to pay a fee for the congestion they added to the city’s public transportation network. So a luxury tower could advertise transit access as a perk, then dump all these new residents onto a bus and rail system that was already overloaded.

A new plan would right that wrong.

Several civic agencies have teamed up to develop a “Transportation Sustainability Fee” that officials hope will help offset the impact that new residential development imposes on public transit. If demographic projections hold true, and San Francisco gets the 101,500 or so households it’s expected to add in the next 25 years, the new fees will go a long way toward making sure transit not only survives the new arrivals but serves them well.

“There’s no way we’ll be able to accommodate that kind of inflow of people if we don’t invest in capacity of the transportation system—particularly in transit capacity,” Ed Reiskin, executive director of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, tells CityLab.

“The compact form and the transit accessibility are part of what make those areas attractive for people who are building housing and will move here.”

Luxury towers would pay most

In addition to office and commercial development, which already pay an impact fee, the new Transportation Sustainability Fee would apply to market-rate residential housing with more than 20 units (as well as large institutions, such as universities).

Affordable housing and subsidized middle-income housing will be exempt—an acknowledgement by officials that affordability remains critical in the coming years. Smaller residential buildings and “most” nonprofits wouldn’t have to pay, either, according to the city.

Big downtown luxury towers are in line to pitch in the most.

In one feasibility study by the city, a 15,000-square foot, 229-unit building would be on the hook for $2 million more a year in fees than it would currently pay. Officials estimate the new fee could bring in roughly $14 million a year; when added to existing fees the city expects to generate $1.2 billion over a 30-year timeline.

Reiskin acknowledges that’s not huge money—especially for a transit system will billions in needs—but says a new rail car here ($3.5 million) or a new 60-foot bus there (under $1 million) can still make a noticeable difference. The new fee would go toward capacity expansion as opposed to basic maintenance.

In addition to new Muni vehicles, that could mean street improvements, investments in BART or Caltrain, or more bike lanes around the city.

Alternative modes would benefit

The fee recognizes that the impact of new development must not only be dispersed across the city but across all modes—not just cars and roads, says Jeffrey Tumlin, a principal at transportation consultancy Nelson\Nygaard.

In that sense it reflects the spirit of San Francisco’s existing (if imperfect) “transit-first” policy. It also extends the city’s recent progress on eliminating traffic guidelines that favor car-reliance over transit use.

“The new fee is based on the notion that San Francisco is no longer widening streets,” says Tumlin. “So if a new development project is bringing 10 new vehicle trips, we have to make transportation investment to reduce at least 10 existing vehicle trips—through improvements to transit, improvements to biking, improvements to walkability, and so on.”

The next step for the proposed ordinance is to go to the planning commission and the land use committee of the city’s Board of Supervisors, says Reiskin. He expects that to occur around September.

From there it would advance to the full board for approval. If it gets the nod, the fee could go into effect by the end of this year or early next.

So far everyone seems on board with the plan—even developers. Reiskin says the real estate community appreciates that transit is both strained and critical to attracting tenants.

“I think there has been a realization that it’s both in their best interest and not unreasonable at levels we’re suggesting that they partner with us to make sure these investments in the transit system can happen, so their buildings can be viable,” he says.

Is the fee too low?

Developer acceptance is great for the plan, but it does raise the question of whether the “not unreasonable” fee might, in fact, be a bit too reasonable.

The proposed ordinance itself, provided to CityLab, acknowledges that the fee’s revenue will be “significantly below the costs that SFMTA and other transit providers will incur to mitigate the transportation infrastructure and service needs resulting from the Development Projects.”

Pedestrian advocate Nicole Ferrara voiced a related concern to SF Gate:

“Why such a low fee when (residential) development is costing San Francisco more than $30 a square foot?” she wondered. “Why not maximize that fee so that all the new projects, all those new people, can get around the city easily and safely.”

Officials say the fee wasn’t as high as it might theoretically have been—a figure estimated by a so-called “nexus” study—so as not to discourage residential development in a city that desperately needs it. Tumlin says finding an impact fee optimal for both sides is always a challenge.

The new fee is certainly better than the existing arrangement, he says, and also represents an “absolutely replicable” model for other U.S. cities struggling to meet their growing transit demand.

“I think it’s a great program,” he says, “and potentially an unusual win-win approach that many jurisdictions could learn from.”

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If you can tear your eyes away from China's volatile stock market, you may want to focus on the country's real estate sector.

It's about to enter "a continued, multi-year slowdown of very significant proportions," according to a note from Barclays.

The likelihood of an imminent collapse is low, says Barclays, but "the slope down might be a little steeper than many investors expect."

Here are the main points:

• Supply is massively outstripping demand. China's housing inventory problem is worse now than in 2012 and 2014. The big 10 cities have around 14 months of spare inventory at the moment.
• The share of residential real estate investment in GDP (10.4%) is higher in China than any other economy before a major real estate collapse, apart from Spain in 2006 (12.5%). The US was at 6.5% before the subprime collapse.
• Around 40-45% of China's total debt is tied up in real estate — that's as much as $9.5 trillion (£6.1 trillion), according to the note.

And here's the scary chart showing inventory peaking in March:

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Recently listed for $10.99 million, this 9.5-acre estate in California's exclusive Coto De Caza community features a backyard wonderland complete with a grotto, lagoon, and pirate ship.

Coto De Caza is a gated community best known as the original setting for Bravo TV's "The Real Housewives of Orange County." John Frankhouse, a former mortgage banker with a passion for real estate, owned the home until his recent passing.

In 2001, Lakers player Kobe Bryant and his wife reportedly made and later rescinded an offer on the home at its previous asking price, $13.5 million. Lyn Chadwick and John McMonigle of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices hold the listing. 

Keep scrolling for an inside-out tour of the whimsical estate. 

SEE ALSO: Take a tour of the most expensive house for sale in America

AND: Donald Trump sells the Park Avenue penthouse he never lived in for $21 million

With nine bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, the home is part of the exclusive Los Ranchos Estates neighborhood.

A spectacular entryway leads to the main house living area.

The home is equipped with an intercom system and surround sound throughout.

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Apple is reportedly preparing to leave the confines of its Cupertino-based campus and sprawl into surrounding cities.

Apple purchased a 43-acre development site across the road from San Jose's airport for $138 million, according to a report from Nathan Donato-Weinstein at the Silicon Valley Business Journal.

Apple's real estate appetite is already voracious, and the company signed a lease in July for a 300,000 square foot building next door to this new development in San Jose.

It's not just sprawling south in the bay, either. Apple reportedly signed its first lease in San Francisco as well, which could be a home to a growing Beats Music brand. Currently the Beats Music staff resides in an office space in San Francisco's Dogpatch neighborhood.

We've reached out to Apple to comment and we'll update if we hear back.

Developing...

SEE ALSO: An Apple construction worker told us the new spaceship HQ may change building standards in the US

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Prices for homes in Silicon Valley are notoriously steep, with tech money contributing to an inflated real estate market that continues to grow in value.

Zillow helped us pull data on the most expensive listings in 14 Silicon Valley towns: Palo Alto, Atherton, Cupertino, Menlo Park, Woodside, Saratoga, Portola Valley, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Hillsborough, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, and San Jose.

Atherton, which consistently ranks among the most expensive zip codes in the country, made the most appearances on the list, with five of the top 11 most expensive homes overall. Several tech billionaires, including Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, HP CEO Meg Whitman, and Google chairman Eric Schmidt, are known to own homes here. 

From a Los Gatos mansion with its own helicopter pad to a historic 40-acre hill estate in Woodside, some of these Silicon Valley homes are pretty out-of-this-world. 

SEE ALSO: A home in Palo Alto is worth more than twice as much today as it was in 2006

11. 18001 Wagner Road, Los Gatos - $14.498 million

This massive Los Gatos estate has six bedrooms, more than 20,000 square feet of space, two pool houses, a tennis court, and a helicopter landing pad. The garage has room for up to 15 cars. 

See the listing »

10. 291 Atherton Avenue, Atherton - $14.85 million

This seven-bedroom home in ritzy Atherton has a sweeping driveway lined with palm trees. Inside, you'll find high ceilings, dramatic chandeliers, and a gourmet kitchen. Additional amenities include a sauna, swimming pool, and tennis court.

See the listing »

9. 333 Atherton Avenue, Atherton - $16.8 million

Located about three minutes further south on the same Atherton street, this property includes a two-bedroom guesthouse in addition to the six-bedroom main house.

See the listing »

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For most of us, buying a home is the biggest purchase of our lives — and the process is far from simple.

Here are nine steps to take to make sure the home you buy is one you can afford:

1. Check your credit score and look at your cash flow.

Start by checking your credit score. "The higher your score, the better the interest rate on your mortgage will be," writes Ramit Sethi in "I Will Teach You To Be Rich." Good credit can mean significantly lower monthly payments, so if your score is not great, consider delaying this big purchase until you've built up your credit.

As for monthly payments, personal finance experts say a good rule of thumb is to make sure make sure the total monthly payment doesn't consume more than 30% of your take-home pay.

It's also to your advantage to plan on being in this home for a while — at least 10 years, Sethi recommends. "The longer you stay in your house, the more you save," he explains. "If you sell through a traditional realtor, you pay that person a huge fee — usually 6% of the selling price. Divide that by just a few years, and it hits you a lot harder than if you had held the house for ten or twenty years." Not to mention, moving costs can be insanely high.

2. Have cash for a down payment.

Technically, you don't always have to put any money down when financing a home today, but if you can't afford to put at least 10% down, you may want to reconsider buying, says Sethi.

Ideally, you'll be able to put 20% down — anything lower and you will have to pay for private mortgage insurance (PMI), which is a safety net for the bank in case you fail to make your payments. PMI can cost between 0.3% and 1.50% of mortgage, depending on the size of your down payment and your credit score.

3. Plan for the surprise expenses.

Even if you can afford the monthly payment, be aware of hidden costs. Buying a home means property taxes, insurance, and maintenance fees that can add hundreds of dollars per month.

Check out the New York Times' "Is It Better to Rent or Buy?" calculator, which factors in things such as maintenance, renovations, closing costs, taxes, inflation, and cost of buying and selling, to help you decide whether renting or buying makes the most sense for you.

4. Get pre-approved for a mortgage.

Once you've aligned your finances and have decided investing in a home is feasible, determine how much you can afford to spend and stick to that limit.

David Walker and Philip Lang, cofounders of full-service real estate brokerage TripleMint, recommend getting a pre-qualification letter from a mortgage lender before house hunting, which demonstrates to you, your realtor, and to sellers how much you can afford. When considering multiple offers, sellers will likely make an offer to those with a pre-qualification letter before those without one.

To apply for pre-qualification, you'll have to find a lender — either the bank or a mortgage broker. Compare offerings from the bank and a few mortgage brokers before settling on the right lender for you. Remember, though: You don't have to spend every cent for which you're approved. It's generally good practice to aim for a home that costs less than the maximum amount for which you qualify.

5. Find the right real estate agent for you.

"Look for a real estate agent who aligns with your goals. That's going to yield the best results for you," emphasizes Walker. "If you're an investor buying an investment property, you might be looking for a different personality trait and a different type of agent than if you're buying a primary home and the most important thing is school district."

Meshing with your agent, and making sure they understand your needs, can pay large dividends in the long run. "We've seen huge success with agents who are paid in bonus based on client satisfaction and not just commission. It completely changes the dynamic," says Walker. "Find a real estate agent that puts client satisfaction as the top priority."

You're going to be spending a lot of time with them, so it pays to put in the time and effort to find the right agent. Reach out to friends for recommendations, and interview several options over coffee to determine their level of experience and expertise in the neighborhoods you're interested in.

6. Start hunting for places within your price range.

Start off by determining your general needs — where you want to live, how many bedrooms and bathrooms you need, and certain school zones you're trying to be in.

Then, become your own expert, says Lang: "Technology has empowered people like never before to do a lot of the searching online, and to really understand the market before actually going out in person. For the type of person who's really active in their search, it has never been a better time to find a home. The data is out there. You can really become your own expert on the market and the inventory."

Zillow.com provides homes prices all over the US, and Insure.com will give you home insurance quotes and let you comparison shop.

Also, check for perks with the government and your employer. Many states offer benefits if you're a first-time home buyer, and some employers will offer special lower rates for first-time buyers.

7. Look at floor plans before going out to see the properties.

Don't be fooled by photos, Walker and Lang emphasize. If you see photos of an apartment or home and the blinds are closed, chances are the view is not great, they explain. Additionally, certain camera lenses can make spaces look much bigger than they actually are.

"A floor plan never lies," says Walker. "When you're buying, you're going to make that space your own, so it's important that the floor plan and layout — the physical space — works for you."

If it will work, then take the time to go out and look at properties in person.

8. Put in an offer you're comfortable with.

You want to make sure the home meets your basic requirements before putting in an offer. "Buying a home is a very emotional process," warns Lang. "It's important to remain rational and stick with your price limit while buying. A lot of times people get caught up in bidding wars, and will go way over what their price needs to be because they love the house so much."

Don't just put in an offer because you're emotionally drained and desperate to finish the process. Expect to miss out on a few homes before you find the one, Walker and Lang say. While you may find your dream home within weeks, it also could take up to six months or more — prepare for a lengthy and exhausting process.

If you've found the right one, make your bid quickly. There may not be much room to negotiate or drive the price down, as you'll likely be facing competing offers. "What people are competing on is who is most qualified to buy it," explains Lang. "It's not always the highest price offer that gets accepted. Sellers are really looking for certainty of close, so if you can provide the most certainty of close to that seller, they're more likely to accept your offer."

9. Close.

If the seller accepts your offer, you will enter contract before closing, and the deal will be contingent upon you securing a loan with your lender, getting the home inspected, and doing a walk-through inspection 24 hours before closing.

Be prepared for closing costs such as appraisal fees, attorney fees, title insurance, property transfer taxes, and inspection fees, which can add up to be about 5% of the mortgage amount.

Closing customs will vary depending on the state you're buying in, which your real estate agent or lawyer will be able to explain to you.

SEE ALSO: A former car salesman reveals 4 tricks dealers use to get you to spend — and how to outsmart them

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Back in 2013, "True Detective" star Vince Vaughn purchased this home in LA's La Cañada Flintridge area for $3.9 million. Two years later, he's selling it for $5.3 million. 

The five-bedroom, colonial-style mansion isn't exactly what you'd picture the "Swingers" actor living in, but since his 2006 split with Jennifer Aniston, the 45-year-old has settled into family life with wife Kyla Weber, a realtor from Canada. The couple bought the home — with a spacious kitchen and huge backyard — just before welcoming baby number two.

Elsewhere in Vaughn's real estate portfolio is a family-friendly "McMansion" in Manhattan Beach (bought from fired USC coach Lane Kiffin last year) and his former Chicago bachelor pad (famous for being the headquarters of Playboy in the '60s and '80s), which he's been trying to sell for a while. 

Christine Navarro of Partners Trust holds the listing for the Southern California estate. Keep scrolling for an inside-out tour.  

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Welcome to the Vaughn family's 5,563-square-foot mansion.

With two young children, Vaughn and his wife still made the brave decision of choosing an all-white color palette.

The formal dining room is the perfect size for family dinners and intimate gatherings.

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The Gucci sisters — daughters of the late Maurizio Gucci, the slain Gucci fashion house heir— are moving out of their Fifth Avenue abode. 

The sisters came into the penthouse after their stepmother, Patrizia Reggiani, ordered a successful hit on Maurizio. Reggiani was sentenced to 29 years in prison by an Italian court. The sisters are reportedly selling the penthouse because they spend the bulk of their time in Europe, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

On the 51st and 50th floors of the Olympic Tower, the penthouse has 14 foot high ceilings. Since 2010, the sisters have been renting it out for $60,000 a month. Daniela Rivoir of Brown Harris Stevens has the listing.

Keep scrolling for a tour of the arty, modernist penthouse asking $45 million.  

SEE ALSO: The 10 most expensive homes you can buy in New York City right now

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Welcome the duplex penthouse of 641 Fifth Ave, otherwise known as the Olympic Tower — one of the most exclusive addresses on the street.

There's no shortage of amazing views, as the duplex sits on the 50th and 51st floors.

The space is 9,500 square feet, but is comprised of a loft-like open space.

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Vice Media CEO Shane Smith has shelled out $23 million for a massive property in Santa Monica, California, Variety reports. 

Built in 1932, the 3.3-acre estate has a total of 12 bedrooms and 14,000 square feet of space. 

The home, known as the Villa Ruchello, previously belonged to noted director Henry Jaglom. It has made appearances in "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Entourage." 

Smith's net worth has been estimated to be as much as $400 million. Brooklyn-based Vice Media, which he cofounded in 1994, has been valued at $2.5 billion. 

SEE ALSO: Early Uber investor and serial entrepreneur Jason Calacanis is selling his Los Angeles home for $3 million

The Villa Ruchello sits behind a heavy set of wrought-iron gates.

The house was built in the Mediterranean style in the 1930s. There are several ponds on the property, and there's even a wishing well on the way up to the house.

Inside, you'll notice some very intricate design details.

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For anyone who has ever struggled with the idea of spending their savings buying a home or using it all to travel the world, condo cruises present a perfect solution.

These floating communities are increasingly popular modes of fulfilling travel fantasies — without having to leave the comforts of home. Plus, every home is oceanfront.

The World, a luxury ocean liner, calls itself a "residential yacht" and is the most famous ocean residence, as well as the largest and oldest, having set sail in 2002. And, according to our research, it seems to be the only active one right now. 

However, the idea of a permanent home at sea seems to be picking up.

The World will soon be joined by The Utopia, a 200-unit condo cruise ship that will be almost twice the size of The World, built to the tune of around $1.1 billion and set to launch next year, as well as The Marquette, which will have 185 residences navigating 5,500 miles of rivers and 1,100 miles of Intracoastal Waterways in the US year-round. The Marquette is currently 42% presold and expects to launch in 18 months. Its apartments range in cost from $327k to $1.2 million.

Just last week, Crystal Cruises announced three new cruise ships that will have up to 48 private residences for sale, ranging in size from 600 square feet to a whopping to 4,000. While prices aren't available yet, they were quoted as being in the multi millions, and the ship compared to New York's uber luxe Baccarat hotel. 

On the luxurious World, which has 165 residences ranging from studio apartments to three bedrooms, as well as a six bedroom penthouse suite, apartments start at $1 million and reach up to $13 million. Then there's the hefty annual ownership charge (for maintenance, operations, crew compensation, and food and drinks), which, depending on the size of the apartment, can be another 10% or more of the purchase price.

However, residents of this "community-at-sea" collectively own the ship, and can thus choose their own itinerary along with the captain. This year, The World will stop at 104 ports in 30 countries, covering around 41,000 nautical miles. The itinerary includes three in-depth expeditions; the Namibia & Mid-Atlantic Expedition, which goes from Cape Town to the Canary Islands; the Greenland Expedition, which explores the remote Faroe islands; and the Antarctica Expedition, which passes through the Panama Canal.

So far, residents have kayaked among icebergs, visited native tribes in Papua New Guinea, tracked polar bears in the Russian Arctic, and gone scuba diving in St. Barths. In 2012, The World became the largest passenger ship to make it through the Northwest Passage, a sea route through the Arctic. 

Units on The World range from studios to three bedrooms, and each unit features a kitchen (there's a grocery shop onboard, as well as plenty of port calls in which to stock up), spacious living and dining areas, en-suite bathrooms for every bedroom, and multiple verandas depending on your apartment size. 

The luxury ship has a 7,000-square-foot spa and gym, a jogging track, two pools, a tennis court, golf facilities including a golf simulator, putting green and driving range, as well as four restaurants, a deli, a grill, five bars, a tea room, and private chefs for hire. Like a floating village, the ship also features an art gallery, movie theater, florist, grocery market, library, chapel and medical center, and a constant stream of activities like lectures and plays, classes in cooking, arts and crafts and dance, and nightly entertainment. There's also a concierge that's able to organize hard-to-get reservations and access to exclusive events around the world, like private dinners Michelin-starred restaurants.

While the average age aboard The World is 64, a solid 35% is under 50. Most residents use these condos as second homes, and stay on the ship for a few months at a time, renting them out for the rest of the year.

Basically, living on a condo cruise ship means avoiding the usual travel hassles — packing, unpacking, lost luggage, customs, etc. Plus, it means traveling with a pretty international set of neighbors; families on The World hail from 19 different countries, and the crew of 260 from 40 different countries. Residents have two to five day stops at each port, and can join or leave the ship at any point, as itineraries are usually set two years in advance.

The only alternative to this kind of lifestyle is buying a yacht, which makes buying a condo on a cruise ship look like a steal.

SEE ALSO: The most expensive countries for tourists to visit

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Rupert Murdoch is turning into a property flipping mogul.

First he listed his One Madison penthouse in April (which he'd only bought the year earlier), and now he's flipping a West Village townhouse he bought a mere five months ago.

After purchasing the downtown residence for $25 million in March, Murdoch stands to make almost $4 million if he gets his asking price of $28.9 million.

Located at 278 W. 11th St., the townhouse was originally a bed and breakfast; Murdoch converted it into a four-story mansion. 

Amenities include an elevator, wine cellar, four-person elevator, backyard garden, and roof deck with views of One World Trade Center downtown and the Empire State Building uptown. Dolly Lenz has the listing.

SEE ALSO: The 15 most expensive houses for sale in America

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Jackie Reses, chief development officer at Yahoo, has listed her four-bedroom home in Woodside, California, for $7.236 million, according to Realtor.com. 

The home sits on a three-acre lot that has sweeping lawns, rose gardens, orchards, a swimming pool, and a tennis court. According to property records, Reses bought the house for $5.8 million in 2013.

Reses apparently won't be moving far. On Tuesday, she tweeted, "Bought a new home in Woodside. Can't wait to move!" 

SEE ALSO: Vice CEO Shane Smith bought a mansion in Santa Monica for $23 million

The house sits behind a set of gates and is surrounded by trees.

This sitting room has a fireplace in addition to nice views of the landscape.

The kitchen is fairly large, and it has its own skylight.

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It's nice to know which ZIP codes are among America's most expensive, but, for many, Realtor.com's 2015 list of the nation's best ZIP codes for first-time home buyers is infinitely more useful.

The ZIP codes were chosen for their "healthy local economics, job opportunities, and affordability." Homes for sale in these areas sell four to nine times faster than the national average. Plus, unemployment rates in these ZIP codes are falling faster than all other metros in the country, median household incomes rank 23% higher than the US average, and job prospects for millennials age 25 to 34 are extremely favorable.

Other factors like commute times, school systems, public transportation, and proximity to shopping and restaurants also play into the ranking.

Keep scrolling to see which ZIP codes made the list.

10. 92010 | Carlsbad, California

Click here for more information on Carlsbad, California

9. 58103 | Fargo, North Dakota

Click here for more information on Fargo, North Dakota

8. 78729 | Austin, Texas

Click here for more information on Austin, Texas

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The late 19th-century Dakota building is one of Manhattan's most mysterious and exclusive residences. 

Stories of ghost sightings have loomed around the building — located at 72nd Street and Central Park West — for years. 

But even more intimidating than its haunted rumors is the Gothic-style building's picky co-op board, which has made a sport of rejecting rich and famous applicants. 

Here are the 15 most fascinating facts about The Dakota, from past to present.

John Lennon was shot dead in front of The Dakota by a crazed fan

On December 8, 1980 Lennon was assassinated by Mark David Chapman outside of The Dakota. He died at Roosevelt Hospital at the age of 40 after releasing his album, "Double Fantasy." 

Yoko Ono still lives in The Dakota and says she saw Lennon's ghost there

Ono and late husband Lennon moved into The Dakota in 1973. Ono stayed in the building after Lennon's death and, according to the New York Post's Page Six, saw her husband's ghost sitting at his white piano. She says he told her, “Don’t be afraid. I am still with you.”

When he was alive, Lennon told Ono that he saw a "crying lady ghost" in the building 

The Beatles musician told his wife he'd seen the ghost roaming the halls. 

The building has no fire escapes

Architect Henry J. Hardenbergh purposely avoided fire escapes by slathering mud from Central Park between the layers of brick flooring to fireproof and soundproof the building. 

Tenants are 'forbidden' to throw away original doors and fireplace mantels

If tenants want to rid apartments of these items, there is a special storage area. 

The original owner's former apartment has sterling-silver floors

Singer Sewing Machine Company founder Edward Clark commissioned The Dakota as a $1 million apartment building for 60 families, including his own. Unfortunately, Clark died in 1882, two years before the building was completed. 

According to legend, it gets its name from its far-west location 

People liked to joke that it might as well have been built in the Dakotas. 

It's been a magnet for the rich and famous since it opened in 1884 

The building was reportedly fully rented before it even opened, thanks to a glowing New York Times review. The Steinway family, of Steinway piano fame, was one of The Dakota's first residents. Although he died in 1883, Peter Tchaikovsky is said to have lived there (perhaps he lived in it before its completion). Actress Lauren Bacall owned a nine-room apartment for 53 years that recently sold for $23.5 million. 

Other notable residents include author Harlan Coben, U2's Bono, Rex Reed, Jack Palance, Lillian Gish, Boris Karloff, Rosemary Clooney, Connie Chung, and Maury Povich.

The building had zero vacancies for 45 years after it opened 

From 1884 to 1929, all 65 of The Dakota's apartments — each with a reported four bathrooms, a parlor, and servant quarters — remained spoken for.

The current application process is insane 

Hopefuls must submit years of financial statements and tax documents, go through a background check, and pay a fee of over $1,000. After completing the rigorous application process, the co-op board can still deny applicants. 

Back in 2011, the co-op board was accused of bias and sued by a former board member, who lived in The Dakota, for racial discrimination and defamation. 

Celebrities don't get special treatment 

Notable celebrities who have been rejected by The Dakota co-op board include Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas, Cher, Billy Joel, Madonna, Carly Simon, Alex Rodriguez, Judd Apatow, and Tea Leoni.

One particularly odd 10-room apartment has been for sale for eight years 

Apartment 26 has been on and off the market for the last eight years, dropping from a $19.5 million asking price to a recent price of $14.5 million. 

It's rumored that $30,000 is buried under the floor of Lennon and Ono's apartment

According to author Stephen Birmingham's 1996 book, "Life at the Dakota," the previous resident of John and Yoko's apartment hid the money under the master-bedroom floor. Whether that's true will remain a question, as the board refuses to destroy the floor to solve the mystery. 

Its boilers could heat every structure in a four-block radius 

The Dakota has an in-house power plant, so its residents will never have to shiver. 

Leonard Bernstein’s former apartment was the building’s most expensive sale

Located on the second floor, the four-bedroom, four-bathroom apartment had a library, a formal dining room, kitchen and breakfast areas, a wood fireplace, and views of Central park. It was listed at $25.5 million and sold for $21 million. 

SEE ALSO: No one wants to live in this $14.5 million apartment in New York's most exclusive building

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A mansion in Georgia's affluent Buckhead neighborhood has a fun secret hidden inside the depths of its nearly 17,000 square feet. Plenty of real estate agents claim the houses in their listings are "built for entertaining," but this one actually is.

Instead of a boring foyer, the inside of the mansion has what Curbed dubbed"an indoor party zone." 

Complete with a glass ceiling, pool, and hot tub, the atrium-like room has everything you could possibly need to throw a house party for the ages — including a Sphinx-like statue and a pool-side bar.

Overlooking the atrium are multiple staircases and many feet of open and balconied hallways leading to the mansion's six bedrooms and 10 bathrooms.

Aside from the mansion's "party zone" claim to fame, it has three front doors, a gated driveway, and a movie theater. You can see more photos and specs for the $2.9 million listing at Zillow.com. 

SEE ALSO: The 15 most expensive houses for sale in America

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When people renovate their homes, they often factor in whether those renovations will add to the resale value.

While few homeowners recoup the full cost of home renovations, updated bathrooms and kitchens, plus other improvements, can help you sell your home more quickly, and for more money.

The added bonus is if you do the renovations while you live in the home, you get to enjoy the renovated spaces for at least a little while before it goes on the market.

But some renovations can actually damage your home's value. These supposed improvements not only add nothing to your bottom line, they may make your home less attractive to potential buyers and bring down its value.

How much they hurt will depend. If the home is in a highly desirable location, potential buyers may be willing to overlook purple walls and an ugly kitchen counter, or they may be willing to do their own renovations. In a subdivision where many similar homes are for sale, the one with bad renovations may linger unsold.

In general, real estate agents and design experts advise keeping resale in mind when you renovate, especially if you don't plan to stay in the home forever.

"Renovations are always best done when they're neutral and tasteful," says Gea Elika, principal broker of Elika Real Estate in New York and a regional director of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents. "Don't personalize it if you plan on selling it."

According to Remodeling magazine's 2015 Cost vs. Value report, the home renovations that bring the greatest return when you sell are a new entry door (which brings you 101.8% of what you spend on the national average), the application of manufactured stone veneer (92.2%) and a garage door replacement (88.4%). The ones with the smallest return are a sunroom addition (48.5%), a home office remodel (48.7%) and a bathroom addition (57.8%).

The value of some features varies by geography. A swimming pool, for example, is more desirable in Florida or Hawaii than in Minnesota or Maine, but even in Florida some buyers might not want the added maintenance cost.

In Pittsburgh, where flat yards are rare, a home with a fabulous flat yard may sell quickly no matter what has been done to the interior. "You could get away with doing certain things to a house here that you couldn't in Florida," says Kevin Brown Jr., president of Praedium Real Estate Services in Pittsburgh and a regional director of NAEBA.

Here are six renovations that may hurt your home's selling price or keep it on the market longer than it would be otherwise.

SEE ALSO: 9 home improvements you should always negotiate

Converted garage.

Some homeowners see converting a garage as a cheaper way to add more living space than building an addition — and it is. But many buyers would prefer a garage, especially in cold and rainy climates. "That room will always feel like a cold garage," says Sabrina Booth, an agent with Redfin in Seattle. "A garage is much more valuable than an extra room in Seattle."

Eliminating a bedroom or powder room.

In older homes, combining smaller rooms in the public living space might add to the value because today's homeowners like large, open spaces. Eliminating a powder room, however, is a bad idea. And turning a bedroom into a master closet or combining two bedrooms to create a large master suite may not pay. "You've eliminated a whole living space," Brown says.

Heavy personalization.

We all want to make our homes into our signature spaces. But some unusual features may turn off potential buyers. Matt Francis, branch manager of Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie Real Estate in the San Francisco Bay Area, once showed a $1.5 million home with a custom kitchen that had two college dorm refrigerators instead of a full-size fridge and no freezer. "Anything that is too personal or too specific would not appeal to the broadest pool of buyers," Booth says.

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