We’ve started to wonder what ever happened to Alec Baldwin’s grand exit from NYC (remember that NY Mag article/tirade?), but city records released today show he’s finally sold one of his Devonshire House apartments, so perhaps his move to LA has commenced.

Baldwin owns a penthouse in the Greenwich Village building, a unit next door, and the recently unloaded eighth-floor one bedroom.

He bought this last unit in 2013 for $2.25 million, listed it in March for $2.35 million, but only sold it for $2.1 million (maybe he really wants to get out of here).

The listing states that the 840-square-foot apartment “was completely renovated in 2012 by the building’s developer and rarely used by its owner.” It has four-inch oak flooring, solid core doors, and a windowed eat-in kitchen outfitted with high-end fixtures.

Baldwin, who in June had his second child with wife Hilaria, still has a ways to go before he’s totally home free from the Devonshire House. He bought the massive penthouse for $11.7 million in October 2011. It was listed as a $30,000/month rental this past May, but taken off the market in just four days.

In June 2012, Hilaria bought the unit next door in her name. This one never listed publicly, so we wouldn’t be surprised if the couple ended up combining the units in an attempt to make a mega sale.

[Listing: 28 East 10th Street, 8C by Scott Stewart of the Corcoran Group]

SEE ALSO: Japanese billionaire asks $50 million for enormous Manhattan mansion with secret passageways

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Ruth Porat, the former CFO of Morgan Stanley who took the same job at Google in March, has just added an expensive piece of Palo Alto real estate to her portfolio. 

According to CBS San Francisco, Porat has purchased a three-bedroom home on Cowper Street in Palo Alto for a whopping $30 million. 

The Colonial-style home has three bedrooms and 4,271 square feet of space. 

It's a historic home that was built in 1932 for Lucie Stern, a descendant of Levi Strauss. 

It last sold for about $1 million in 1978, but no one has lived there for decades.

The Palo Alto Daily Post reported that the $30 million purchase is the biggest ever made in Palo Alto, which is known for its pricey real estate and wealthy tech residents.

The house had not been publicly listed.  

Porat grew up in Palo Alto and is a graduate of Stanford. 

The sale of the home was recorded in July. As noted by Palo Alto Online, the seller was the Arrillaga Trust, which has ties to Silicon Valley real estate mogul John Arrillaga. 

SEE ALSO: A Zuckerberg may have just bought this New York City townhouse for $22.3 million

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For my wife and I, buying a home was one of the most rewarding accomplishments of our lives. While some days it feels like we’re barely treading water as homeowners, other days we’ve never been more happy and thankful.

But getting to the closing table was a long, frustrating process. From getting our finances in order, to shopping for a home, to actually finding one that met our needs and budget, there several aspects of the home-buying process that left a lot to be desired.

In fact, I can safely say there was a lot about the process I hated. While I’m happy now in my new home, here are 13 things I hated about buying it:

SEE ALSO: How much living space people can afford in 15 major US cities

1. Low inventory

My wife and I began looking at homes in December 2014. In the lovely state of New Jersey, “December” translates into short days, near-freezing temps, rain, snow and all the “fun” that comes with that.

The real estate side effect of gray skies and snow showers is that not a lot of people are interested in selling their homes. Long story short, we spent months and months picking through the bones of the market, looking at one clunker after the other.

You may be asking, why would anyone shop for a home in the winter? Buyers shop for homes in the winter for the same reasons homeowners sell in the winter: they have to. We had just sold our co-op and the thought of shacking up with the in-laws for an extended period of time was not something any of us wanted.

2. Deceiving online pictures

When will I learn?! When it comes to online real estate photos, I’ve fallen into the “ooooh, that’s looks nice” trap so many times.

Since the invention of Craigslist, I have been duped by online photos of apartments and now houses. Every house I saw during my home-shopping adventure looked way better online than in person.

Online pictures of homes are like profile photos on online dating sites: they disguise imperfections of all shapes and sizes, making things look a lot better in virtual reality than they do in reality.

3. Dirty homes

Speaking of things looking worse in person … For me, there was nothing worse than walking into a dirty home. Forget a home that needs upgrades or repairs, those you know you can fix. But a dirty home is an instant turnoff that can disguise the potential of a home.

After a 17-month contract period, the most expensive home ever sold in Miami has finally closed — for a whopping $60 million. That's $10 million over the asking price of $50 million.

The 12,516-square-foot penthouse in the 18-story Faena Housecondominium tower sits on Miami Beach's widest stretch of white sand.

It was developed and built by Argentina's Faena Group and contains just 47 residences. But the penthouse is by far the most luxurious. 

The glass-walled apartment has a five bedrooms, two custom kitchens, and exclusive access to a private elevator.

There's also a media room, great room, dressing room, and 70-foot infinity pool on the 9,900-square-foot, Brazilian-style terrace, known as an "Alero."

All Faena House residents have access to its hotel-style amenities and services. These include valet and private concierge service, an in-house spa and fitness center with direct ocean views, a private beach club with full cabana service, and two pools.

The buyer of the $60 million penthouse is unknown, but a representative told the Wall Street Journal last year that they appreciated the "privacy afforded by the fact that the building is relatively small ... and that the penthouse has a rooftop pool."

Julie Zeveloff and Liz O'Connor contributed to an earlier version of this report.

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

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As the U.S. economy continues to rebuild slowly from the recession 7 years ago, lots of people are looking to buy homes after years of renting or staying put in a previous house.

As a result, the real estate market is competitive in many parts of the country, requiring buyers to put in aggressive offers and, in some places, compete with deep-pocketed investors paying cash.

What this means is that — now more than ever — you need to be qualified for a mortgage before you shop for real estate.

Understanding today’s mortgage market

Before the housing crisis of 2008–09, it seemed that anybody with a pulse could get a mortgage (or two or three). Lenders pushed “sub-prime” loans on people with poor credit knowing the entire time that the applicants couldn’t afford the payments and would eventually default.

These lending habits were obviously unsustainable, and we know the rest of the story. The banks got bailouts while millions of homeowners either lost their homes or got stuck underwater, owning much more on their mortgage than their home was worth.

Even as the real estate market begins to recover, the mortgage crisis has left its mark. Mortgage underwriting — the criteria banks use to determine whether to make a loan — is more stringent. That’s not to say that young couples or other first-time home buyers will have a difficult time getting a mortgage. But it’s more important than ever to be prepared to prove to the bank that you’re financially prepared to take on a mortgage payment.

Related: How do you know when you’re ready to buy a home?

What it takes to get approved for a mortgage

Before completing a mortgage application or even strolling through an open house, you’ll want to know these things:

• Your monthly income
• The sum of your total monthly debt payments (auto loans, student loans and credit card minimum payments)
• Your credit score and any credit issues in the past few years
• How much cash you can put down
• How much house you can afford. (Use our simple calculator to estimate this.)

Your income and debts

The first step in preparing to apply for a mortgage is to document your monthly income and debt payments. You’ll need to provide at least two weeks of pay stubs to your lender, so it doesn’t hurt to start collecting those. If you’re self-employed or have variable income, expect the underwriting process to be a bit more involved. You may, for example, have to submit copies of your past one or two tax returns. The lender may then count the average of your last two year’s income or the lower of the two numbers.

Getting approved for the mortgage you want is all about staying within certain ratios lenders use to determine how much you can afford for a mortgage payment. Large debt payments (like an auto loan or big student loans) will limit the size of the mortgage approval you can get. If possible, pay these loans off or, at the very least, avoid taking any new loan payments on prior to applying for a first mortgage. Again, this calculator can help you estimate how much home you can afford using these ratios.

Related: What percentage of income can you afford for mortgage payments?

Your credit health

Before applying for a mortgage, obtain both your credit score and your credit history report.

You’ll want to verify there are no errors on the report or recent derogatory items like late payments. As you may shop for homes over the course of several months, this is one time you might want to consider subscribing to a service that provides regular credit report monitoring for around $20 a month. You can cancel this after you close on your home.

As for your credit score, your estimated FICO credit score should be at least 680 and preferably above 700. Anything less and you may need to find a highly-qualified cosigner or take time to improve your credit before getting mortgage approval. The lower your credit score, the higher the mortgage rate you’ll pay which can add up to tens of thousands of dollars in extra interest.

If your credit is just under 680, you may consider an FHA loan. These government-insured loans allow lower credit scores and much lower down payments, but there are significant additional costs.

Finally, do not apply for new credit in the few months leading up to your mortgage application. Banks get suspicious if it looks like you’re piling on the new credit. My mortgage broker once told me that even getting a credit check for a new cell phone plan could require a letter of explanation to your mortgage lender.

Your mortgage budget

Before ever speaking with a mortgage officer, you’ll want to determine how much house you can afford and are comfortable paying (two different things!). A good rule is that your total housing payment (including fees, taxes, and insurance) should be no more than 35 percent of your gross (pre-tax) income. For example, if together you and a co-buyer earn $80,000 a year, your combined maximum housing payment would be $2,333 a month. That’s an absolute, max, however. I recommend sticking with a total housing payment of 25 percent of gross income, and you’ll find other readers here who are even more conservative.

It can be difficult to equate this monthly payment to a fixed home price, as your monthly housing payment is subject to variables like mortgage interest rate, property taxes, the cost of home insurance and private mortgage insurance (PMI), and any condo or association fees. In some cases, taxes, insurances, and fees may be equal to or greater than your actual mortgage payment. So you’ll have to work backwards based on houses you like to determine what your payment will be and whether it fits your budget.

Next, determine how much you can save for a down payment to put towards your first home. In today’s market, expect your mortgage lender to require at least a 10 percent down payment unless you’re getting an FHA loan or another special program loan. If you have it, consider putting 20 percent down to avoid private mortgage insurance (PMI)— costly insurance that protects your mortgage lender should you foreclose prior to building sufficient equity in the property.

Commit to the maximum you want to spend before beginning the mortgage approval process. Real estate agents, your own desires, and some unscrupulous mortgage lenders may try to tempt you into buying a more expensive home than you can afford, perhaps rationalizing the decision by reminding you that real estate is bound to appreciate. That may happen, but I would take a smaller payment you can afford in good times and bad over a bigger one that you may lose in foreclosure.

Related: Home affordability calculator

When and where to apply for your mortgage

You can meet with a mortgage lender and get pre-qualified at any time. A pre-qual simply means the lender thinks that based on your credit score, income, and other factors, you should be able to get approved for a mortgage. It’s informal and totally non-binding.

As you get closer to buying a home you’ll want to seek pre-approval. You can meet with a local bank, credit union or mortgage broker or or get pre-approved online from any number of national online mortgage lenders.

Wherever you go, this pre-approval isn’t binding, but it’s a more formal indicator of your ability to get approved for the mortgage that you can send to sellers with your offer. Most sellers will want to see a pre-approval if not with an offer then within a couple days of making your offer.

If you are a prime borrower candidate (good credit and income), a reputable mortgage lender should offer you their best rates off the bat. Otherwise, don’t be afraid to shop around, as small differences in your mortgage rate can add up to big savings over the life of your loan.

Read more:

Looking to buy your first home? Use our resources for all the information you could ever need:

• What percentage of income can you afford for mortgage payments?
• Home affordability calculator
• How do you know when you’re ready to buy a home?

SEE ALSO: 13 things I hated about buying my house

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If you're a 20-something living in San Francisco, there are places offering reasonable enough rent — you might have just to sleep in a shared room with a bunk bed to get it.

A new Craigslist ad for 1042 Folsom Street actually sounds pretty fun. The ad says it's hunting for new housemates, and the current tenants are frequent beer drinkers, kickball players and gym rats.

The only problem is a single room will run you $1,700, while a more affordable $1,200 option in the same home means you'll be sharing it with others, sleeping in a bunk bed.

Oh, and there are about 25 other people also living in this house. So it's kind of like MTV's "The Real World," just slightly smaller quarters and fewer amenities.

The roommates have put together a website to recruit other 20-something roommates. Here's what they say the home you could bunk up in is like:

• The home is 3 stories and it was recently rebuilt 
• The main floor is a common area with basic rooms like a kitchen, library, outdoor deck, laundry room, a game room, etc. There's a dart board, a ping pong table and the roommates say Foosball may be coming soon.
• But fear not, there's DirectTV and fast wifi
• There are 55 rooms scattered throughout the other 2 floors; some rooms are for doubles (the bunk beds!) and others are singles.
• The bathroom situation for all these people isn't terrible. It's kind of like a college dorm. The roommates advertise "12 private toilets and "10 private showers."

So, what would your 25 roommates be like? Many of them work in tech, but they know how to "get down."

"A typical week at the Negev consist of turn up Tuesday's and thirsty Thursday's to prepare our livers for the weekend," the Craigslist ad states. "Once the weekend arrives its not uncommon to find housemates across the street at 1015 Folsom, chillin at Delores park, playing in our kickball league, or having the occasional keg party. Once Sunday night rolls around, we all turn down and get together to eat Sunday family dinners provided by the house."

Sound like a place you want to live? Here's the link to apply. And here's the Craigslist ad:

SEE ALSO: A shack in SiIicon Valley and a mansion in Austin: Here's what a $1-2 million home looks like in 7 major US cities

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If there’s anything to make you reevaluate living in America’s tech hub, it’s this map from NeighborhoodX comparing Bay Area housing prices to those in the world’s most beautiful, exotic locales.

The yet-to-launch real-estate service—partly run by Constantine Valhouli, the guy who mapped New York’s musical references—lined up market rates for two-bedrooms in San Francisco and Oakland with neighborhoods in San Sebastian, Cannes, St. John’s, Antigua, and elsewhere. For what it costs to live in North Beach, for example, you could afford a fancy white-stone cave on an Aegean archipelago. NeighborhoodX lays out the dismal facts:

At $1,098 per square foot, North Beach compares to the Oia neighborhood of the island of Santorini in Greece ($1,017/sq.ft.). Considered one of the most beautiful islands in the world, many of the cliffside houses are built into the caves themselves, and are connected by steep, winding staircases. Films shot here include Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

To rub it in, the site includes National Geographic-quality pictures of these paradises. Here’s Oia:

And this is one of those caves—you likely won’t find any bedbugs here:

The list goes on: Planting down in Dolores Park is equivalent to relocating to the tony Leblon district in Rio de Janeiro ($1,137 per square foot).

The far-south Crocker-Amazon neighborhood is as expensive as Ciutat Vella in Barcelona ($509 per square foot), which has “Roman foundations, medieval buildings, and the atmospheric Gothic Quarter—and the otherworldly architecture of [Antoni] Gaudi throughout the city.”

And fast-gentrifying West Oakland has rates roughly equal to Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos ($359 per square foot), where celebrity sightings have included “Danny DeVito, Derek Jeter, and Cedric the Entertainer.”

Explore the map and weep. Here’s hoping that when the tech bubble inevitably bursts, the site will make another one comparing real-estate prices to the crummiest places on the planet, like perhaps this decrepit oil rig in the middle of the sea.

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If you’re looking to buy a home in today’s competitive real estate market, there are three things you must have. If you have these items lined up, you may be considered a stronger buyer, which can help you immensely.

1. At least $20,000 in cash

The market has radically changed, and in many markets across the country, sellers are in control. You'll need at least $20,000 of your own funds or have access to at least $20,000 to buy a home successfully, and in order to be taken seriously in a competitive offer situation. That’s $10,000 for a down payment and $10,000 for closing costs.

The purchase price of the home will dictate your specific amount of money you'll need to get your foot in the door. Understand, the higher the purchase price, the more of the $20,000 will go toward the down payment, as you need at least a 3.5% down payment to buy a home.

On a $400,000 single-family home, a 3.5% down payment would be $14,000. In this scenario, $6,000 would go toward the closing costs, which would mean you'd need another $4,000 in the form of a seller credit, a lender credit or perhaps gift funds or even a real estate agent commission credit — all of which are acceptable cash sources.

Qualify for as much house as you can, doing so gives you the ability to offer more to effectively finance any shortfall on the needed cash. While it still might be dicey to obtain a seller credit for closing costs, it becomes more likely if you have more buying power at your disposal. Even if you are looking at a home for, say, $300,000, you would still need at least $20,000 to pull it off without asking for any credits or concessions in the transaction. The offers that typically stand out are strong, with no concessions.

On a $400,000 single-family home, a 3.5% down payment would be $14,000. In this scenario, $6,000 would go toward the closing costs, which would mean you’d need another $4,000 in the form of a seller credit, a lender credit or perhaps gift funds or even a real estate agent commission credit — all of which are acceptable cash sources.

Qualify for as much house as you can, doing so gives you the ability to offer more to effectively finance any shortfall on the needed cash. While it still might be dicey to obtain a seller credit for closing costs, it becomes more likely if you have more buying power at your disposal. Even if you are looking at a home for, say, $300,000, you would still need at least $20,000 to pull it off without asking for any credits or concessions in the transaction. The offers that typically stand out are strong, with no concessions.

2. A 620 credit score or higher

This gives you more options both for an FHA Loan and a Conventional Loan to the max county loan limits. For example, in Sonoma County, Calif., the maximum loan size on either loan program is up to $520,950. A 620 credit score gives you more options on either mortgage loan program. If your credit score falls between 600-619, you can still buy a home using a loan insured by the FHA.

Additionally, you'll be subject to some additional mortgage lending requirements such as a maximum debt ratio of 43% (more on this later), as well as being required to take a homeownership counseling class sponsored by HUD no matter what your previous housing history is. If you’re not sure what your credit score is now, there are many ways to check it for free. You can get two credit scores for free on Credit.com, updated monthly, to see where you stand and monitor your progress.

3. A manageable debt ratio

A debt-to-income ratio that’s considered “acceptable” is typically pegged at 45% or lower, although on some FHA loans, it can go as high as 52%. If it passes through automated underwriting, it’s insurable for the Federal Housing Administration. While it’s recommended from a prudent financial planning standpoint to keep your debts low in relationship to your housing payment, higher debt ratios for FHA loans are still widely acceptable in the lending industry. Acceptable does not mean recommended, consumers are left to make that choice.

This means your income needs to be high enough to support any consumer loan payments you might have — such as car loans, student loans, alimony, child support, any kind of recurring debt obligations plus a proposed mortgage payment, and those combined debts should not generally be more than 45% of your gross income. If they are higher than 45%, you may still be able to qualify for the loan. If you can't, you could always pay off debt to qualify, buy less, borrow less or look at taking a lower interest rate, to generate a lower proposed housing payment. Here's a calculator that can help you determine how much house you can afford.

All three of the above-mentioned things are of equal importance, one will not offset the other. If, for example, you don't have enough cash at the moment, but will have it at later date, tell your mortgage company. If you have additional funds to pay down debt in a way that would increase your credit score, but it takes away from the down payment funds and/or the closing costs, talk with your mortgage company. These are all things your lender must know about you in the pre-approval stage.

Alternatively, you could look at a lower-priced home or a different type of property to make the mortgage payment more manageable if cash and credit are tight. Gone are the days of being able to buy a home with no money down, since you’re more likely to be going up against competitors gunning for the same home who are coming in stronger than you. Information about the other offers is not disclosed in real estate transactions, so putting your best foot forward can greatly increase your odds of buying a home.

More on Mortgages & Homebuying:

SEE ALSO: How to get approved for your first mortgage

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This luxurious townhouse overlooking the Hudson River just had its third price chop after six years on the market. 

Owners Bob and Cortney Novogratz, a famous husband-and-wife interior design team, first listed the home in 2009 for $25 million. The price has dropped several times and is now down to $15.95 million.

Supermodel Heidi Klum rented the West Village spread over the summer, but now it's empty again. Steven Gold of Town Residential holds the listing. 

Keep scrolling to check out the townhouse, complete with an indoor basketball court and rooftop hot tub.

SEE ALSO: Caitlyn Jenner redesigned her Malibu home to reflect her personal style — here's a look inside

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Welcome to the Novogratz's 7,180-square-foot townhouse. Watch your step in the mosaic entry hall.

After a long day, feel free to take the eight-person elevator from your private garage to your room.

The sparkling chandelier adds elegance to the spacious open kitchen.

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The US housing market is on fire, and homes at the high end of the spectrum continue to be listed for mind-boggling amounts.

The most expensive home on the market right now is the $149 million "Palazzo di Amore," which has 12 bedrooms and 23 bathrooms, plus a vineyard and parking for two dozen cars. In the Hamptons, a historic home is available for $140 million.

Our friends at Point2Homes have helped us compile a list of the most expensive homes currently for sale in every state, plus Washington, DC. They're ranked in order, going from the least expensive all the way up to America's priciest.

From a Dallas estate with its own helipad to a Beverly Hills mansion with 23 bathrooms, these homes are certain to suit the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

51. NORTH DAKOTA: An 8,727-square-foot home with five bedrooms would set you back about $2.78 million.

Price: $2.78 million

Address: 4810 Lakewood Drive SE, Mandan

50. NEBRASKA: In Omaha, a three-bedroom home stretches out over a property that totals 4.17 acres.

Price: $4.2 million

Address: 13507 Hamilton St., Omaha

49. SOUTH DAKOTA: This five-bedroom home sits near the 10th hole of the Dakota Dunes Golf Course. It's currently on the market for $4.5 million.

Price: $4.5 million

Address: 940 Quail Hollow Circle, Dakota Dunes

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Watching the stock market these days is like riding a roller coaster. Except it isn’t all fun and games — it’s your hard earned money that's going for a ride.

In volatile markets like these, sophisticated high-net worth investors run for cover by sheltering their investments in stable assets like commercial real estate. And now that option is available to investors who don't have millions to spend.

Fundrise, a rapidly growing startup based in Washington, DC, has taken an innovative crowdfunding approach to commercial real estate investment, and it's finally opening the world of high-quality private real estate up to the masses.

"I think most people recognize that commercial real estate is something that every smart investor would want in their portfolio," says Brandon Jenkins, the company’s chief operating officer. "The challenge has always been that unless you have $500k to invest with a private equity fund it simply isn’t possible."

Fundrise has changed this dynamic. Driven by proprietary technology, its revolutionary online platform cuts down on inefficiencies inherent in the traditional Wall Street model and reduces costs, allowing individuals to invest at much smaller minimums and earn better returns.

Jenkins says many investors don't realize that real estate has actually outperformed Wall Street over the last 15 years. Meanwhile, financial experts like David Swensen, chief investment officer for Yale University and author of "Pioneering Portfolio Management," recommend placing approximately 20% of your investable funds into real estate for years.

"Commercial real estate as an asset class is uniquely well suited for investors who are looking for both annual cash returns, as well as long-term appreciation" states Jenkins.

Institutional Grade Underwriting

However, he notes that finding good investments isn’t easy. Smart real estate investing requires in-depth market research, a detailed understanding of local demographic and economic trends, and extensive due diligence. "Fundrise leverages the power of the internet to provide individuals with the same institutional level of underwriting done by billion-dollar funds,” says Jenkins.

He says the startup sees opportunity in high-growth cities like Denver, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Washington, DC. "There is a generational shift going on where both millennials who are starting their careers, and Baby Boomers who are downsizing, are moving to urban cores looking for a walkable 24/7 lifestyle."

Jenkins notes that the potential for rising interest rates has been a motivating factor for some investors. “I think most people agree that the Fed will likely raise rates in the next 6 to 9 months and there is some concern that we will see price inflation. Many of our investors are using commercial real estate as a hedge against potential inflation and an alternative to what may be a bull market that has finally peaked.”

Fundrise envisions a new type of finance where investing in real estate is as common as owning stocks and bonds, where investors can shop an inventory of the best properties across the country without leaving the couch.

With growth of more than 1500% in the past year, that future doesn’t seem so far away.

Learn how Fundrise is cutting investor fees by 90%.

This post is sponsored by Fundrise.

Find out more about Sponsored Content.

SEE ALSO: The top 5 online real estate investments you could be making

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Tom Cruise has reportedly sold his Hollywood Hills compound for $1.6 million under the asking price.

The gated, European-style villa, which was listed in March for $13 million, is said to have closed at $11.4 million, which is slightly less than the actor paid for it. 

According to Variety, it's rumored that Cruise used the 2.5 acre property as a retreat for high-level Scientologists. Recently, Cruise's sister was living on the property. 

The estate comprises two parcels of land with a main house and guest house. The latter was purchased by Cruise for $1.8 million shortly after he bought the main property in 2005 for $9.85 million, bringing the total to $11.65 million, not including any home improvements Cruise may have made. 

The movie star seems to be undergoing a real estate overhaul. In November of last year he listed his Colorado estate for $59 million, and back in 2013 he listed his New York townhouse for $28 million, as well as an East Village condo for $3 million. He currently lives in a Beverly Hills mansion he bought for $30.5 million in 2007, according to Variety.

Keep scrolling for a tour of the Hollywood Hills mansion shrouded in Scientology rumors. 

Megan Willett contributed to an earlier version of this post. 

SEE ALSO: A former Apple executive is selling his incredible $35 million California smart home

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Welcome to Tom Cruise's Hollywood Hills compound. The home is right off of the famous Mulholland Drive, shielded from the street by fences and gates with a long, winding driveway.

According to Variety, the estate is rumored to have been a not-so-secret Scientology retreat.

The property has both a 4,965-square-foot main residence as well as a separate 1,742-square-foot guest house. The main house has oak floors and Venetian plaster walls.

Personal finance whiz Suze Orman has listed her one-bedroom apartment in the Plaza Hotel for $4.5 million, Curbed NY reports. 

She and wife Kathy Travis purchased the spread for $3.6 million in 2007, telling the Wall Street Journal, "The same apartment on the other side with park views was $3 million more." 

The apartment has marble bathrooms, neutral decor, and 1,279 square feet of space. 

SEE ALSO: The most expensive home for sale in every state

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Orman's apartment is on the 12th floor of New York City's storied Plaza Hotel.

A gorgeous lobby is just one of the building's amenities. Residents get all of the benefits of living in a hotel, like cleaning services and access to the spa, fitness center, hair salon, and ballroom.

In the apartment, a wide hallway leads from the front door to the living room.

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Taylor Swift reportedly spent $25 million on a Beverly Hills mansion that previously belonged to legendary film producer Samuel Goldwyn, Variety reports. 

The sale closed at the beginning of September, though the buyer was masked behind an LLC with a Nashville address. Variety, citing multiple unnamed sources, is now reporting that the mystery buyer was indeed Swift. 

The 11,000-square-foot mansion would be Swift's second in Beverly Hills — she also owns a $3.55 million home there, in addition to properties in New York City, Rhode Island, and two in Nashville.

The Goldwyn Estate has six bedrooms, a tennis court, guest apartment, swimming pool, and large gardens. Goldwyn frequently used his home to host stars of the golden age of Hollywood, including Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin, Bette Davis, and Frank Capra. Though Goldwyn died in 1974, the estate had belonged to his son, the late Samuel Goldwyn Jr., ever since.

Swift addressed Variety's report in a tweet Tuesday.

Since the sale closed earlier in September (and she had been in Los Angeles for the VMAs around the same time) it's still very possible that Swift was the buyer.  

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If you live in a major city, you're probably used to some background noise.

Still, some streets are noisier than others, whether that's because they're close to transportation hubs like airports or there's just a lot of construction in the neighborhood. 

Online real estate platform Trulia enlisted the help of CartoDB to create maps that show the noisiest neighborhoods in New York City, San Francisco, and Seattle. The animated maps show the frequency of noise complaints across the city over a five-year span, starting in December 2009 and ending in June 2015.

The maps light up with yellow for each noise complaint and become red as complaints become more frequent in a particular area. 

They're mesmerizing to watch. Here's a look at New York City, where noise complaints appear to be fairly evenly distributed. 

In San Francisco, the noisiest residents appear to be concentrated in the Tenderloin, the Upper Haight, and the Mission.  

And in Seattle, Capitol Hill and the University District get the most noise complaints.  

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A sprawling Los Angeles estate that formerly belonged to Sam Simon, the late co-creator of "The Simpsons," has hit the market for $18 million.  

With a property that totals about 1.5 acres, the residence actually includes two homes: a chic modern residence and a second, more historic home designed by architect Richard Neutra in 1948. The house was part of Arts & Architecture magazine's postwar Case Study House Program, which commissioned architects to build affordable and modern homes.

Simon died in March 2015, after a battle with colon cancer. According to the Wall Street Journal, the property is being sold by Simon's estate, and the proceeds will be donated to charity.

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Both the home designed by Neutra (right) and the contemporary main house (left) sit in stunningly green surroundings in Pacific Palisades, California.

Neutra's 2,000-square-foot 1948 home was one of 34 designed as part of the Case Study House Program. Today, only 21 of the original homes remain standing.

At the time, Neutra built the residence for Stuart and Lucia Bailey, creating a clean and crisp living room that includes floor-to-ceiling glass.

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Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim's 20,000-square-foot mansion became one of the most expensive public listings in New York City when it hit the market this spring. 

At that time, the landmarked, Beaux-Arts masterpiece was listed with facade photos only. Now, interior photos of the home owned by the world's second-richest man have finally surfaced. 

Listing agency Sotheby's International Real Estate has recently uploaded pictures of the house, giving us a better look at what a 25-room, $80 million townhouse looks like. 

The house was originally built in 1901 and is officially named the Benjamin N. and Sarah Duke House.

Keep scrolling for a tour of the townhouse that's neighbors with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

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Slim's Fifth Avenue palace holds court on the Upper East's Side's "Gold Coast."

It sits at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 82nd Street, directly across the street from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The corner location ensures that plenty of sun hits its historic, limestone and brick facade.

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Houses cost a lot of money. Finding more bang for your buck can be a challenge of being in the market for a home.

RealtyTrac, which analyzes US property data, identified the most affordable places to live in the US.

Surveying 582 counties across the country, the firm compiled home price and wage data. They developed a ranking of affordability by dividing the region's average mortgage payment by average weekly wages.

From RealtyTrac's findings, we compiled the list of the 14 most affordable counties in the US that are part of a metropolitan statistical area. 

For the most part the counties were in the Midwest and South. Missouri, South Carolina, Michigan, and Ohio all placed multiple counties in the list.

Check out the full list below with the metro area, affordability score, average house price, and average weekly wages. The list is from less affordable to the most.

14. Philadelphia, PA

Metro Area: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

Affordability Percentage: 14.9%

Average Home Price: $120,956

Average Weekly Wage: $1,214

Source: RealtyTrac

13. Trumbull, OH

Metro Area: Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA

Affordability Percentage: 14.5%

Average Home Price: $68,133

Average Weekly Wage: $785

Source: RealtyTrac

12. Bay, MI

Metro Area: Bay City, MI

Affordability Percentage: 14.5%

Average Home Price: $55,016

Average Weekly Wage: $694

Source: RealtyTrac

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Apple hasn't even finished construction on its first spaceship-style campus, but it's reportedly signed a lease on a second, according to the Silicon Valley Business Journal's Nathan Donato-Weinstein.

The new campus, which is still under development, is designed to be "Not Another Box," according to its marketing moniker, and its curvy architecture is reminiscent of Apple's own command-key symbol, just with three loops instead of four.

The large campus site in Sunnyvale would replace a 1970s business park with the futuristic looking six-story office campus, complete with a rooftop gardens and two miles of walkable paths.

And like it's first Spaceship campus, which is just one large ring, the plan calls for smaller enclosed courtyard in each of the three buildings. All three are connected in one large roof garden.

Apple's appetite for new office space is seemingly never-ending. The company recently bought a site in San Jose and signed a lease for a 300,000 square foot building next door to it. This new deal would add 777,100 square feet to its empire and make room for an additional 3,000 workers.

Both Apple and the developer of the property, Landmark, declined to comment. Read the Silicon Valley Business Journal's full report on the leasing here.

SEE ALSO: Apple is reportedly gobbling up real estate as it expands into San Jose

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The richest people I know or meet always tell me the same thing: prime cities in the developed world simply can’t go down!

New York, London, Paris, San Francisco, Vancouver, Singapore, Sydney – they’re all invincible! Or so these guys would have you believe.

If there’s any two things history doesn’t support, it’s that the biggest cities always reign supreme… and that the ultra-rich always remain rich.

There’s a reason all good mothers tell their children to become doctors or lawyers. People in those professions will likely end up in the 1% to 10% bracket where they make their money more systematically – like from high salaries. They might not make it into the top 0.1% to 1%, where incomes and net worth are totally unstable, but they’ll make a hell of a living, and have stability to boot. The guys at the top? They may get rich off some radical new business or IPO or from Wall Street speculation. But they might burn out just as quick.

That’s just how they work. Radical innovators, speculators, and even conquerors “live and die by the sword.” They’re too invested – both emotionally and financially.

I get it. But as one of those people who started a radically different business and took huge risks, you’d be shocked by how much my income and wealth has varied over the last 20 years. You’re not on top forever!

So for these people who think they’re going to be rich forever and that they can park millions in cash in prime real estate and get away scot-free, they’ve got another thing coming.

There were two points when the top 1% controlled near 50% of the net worth in the U.S. – 1928 to 1929, and 2007 to 2015. The very top, the 0.1%, control as much as 25% at these peaks.

But those peaks don’t last, as the bubbles that create such extreme wealth don’t last. Their wealth tends to get cut in half in the years and decades to follow.

This has devastating consequences to the real estate prices in huge cities where these global elite park their cash.

They see such cities as the safest place to park large amounts of money. Where else can you buy a 4,000 to 9,000 square-foot penthouse for $20 to $120 million? They can go for as much as $13,000 a square-foot! Try buying a big block of stock for that amount without moving the markets against you. You can’t! So real estate in such megacities seems like a great idea.

But here’s what that assumption might cost them by simply looking back at history. This chart shows how Manhattan – the greatest district in the great city in the world! – fared in the Roaring 20s… then the Great Depression.

The high-end peaked the latest (and most dramatically) in 1929, then crashed 67% into 1939. That’s twice what the average house fell by from 2006 to 2012, and more than twice what the Case-Shiller index shows for top cities that went down into 1933! Even the low-end went down 58% after peaking in 1927.

For comparison in Washington, DC, the median house – the true middle market representing the average American – went down only 26% from 1925 to 1933.

The Case-Shiller index shows the top cities hit new highs again in 1943 – 10 years after its bottom. In DC, the median house recovered back to its highs by the 1940s. But in Manhattan, real estate was still down near its lows in 1939. Sources claim it didn’t reach new highs again until 1953 – others claim 1960!

How could it possibly take as much as 30 years to recover!?

Simple – the greater the bubble, the greater the burst!

The question is, who’s buying these properties at such outrageous prices?

Buyers on the highest end are often foreigners just looking to get a stake and park (or launder) money out of their country – they more often than not don’t really live there.

In any major coastal city you go to, the high-end buyers tend to be affluent Chinese, Russians, Brazilians, or Mid-Easterners. But with the way oil has collapsed, hitting the currencies of Russia and the Mid-East… and the way the commodity collapse has hit Brazil and its currency over 50%… it’s now more down to the Chinese.

But China’s government is finally getting serious about cracking down on money leaving the country under the guise of real estate – as I’ve been predicting would have to happen, the way money’s been fleeing out of China at an unprecedented rate.

Suddenly, those foreign buyers won’t be around anymore – at least not to the extent they have been. Remember the Japanese affluent buying up real estate globally in the late 1980s? They disappeared almost overnight when their real estate bubble collapsed and their wealth with it. And that will leave nothing left to stop this bubble from bursting.

Luxury home builder Toll Brothers and top real estate agents are reporting to Bloomberg that they see Manhattan’s high-end starting to taper off rapidly.

One of Toll Brothers’ executives, David Von Spreckelsen, said: “The days of super pricing and of raising prices every other week, I think, are probably past.” They’re switching gears from the larger apartments to smaller units in the $2000 per-square-foot range… imagine that!

Then Ziel Feldman of Manhattan-based HFZ Capital Group says: “I don’t want to be hostage to a $10-to-$20 million condo market.” As of second quarter, 50% of new development listings were over $5 million. That will not last.

When the high-end cracks, it will crack in many bubble cities driven by foreign buyers. And when this next real estate bubble bursts, it will happen on a much more global scale – much more severe than the last one.

Don’t say we haven’t been warning you.

SEE ALSO: The next shoe to drop

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