Archinect - News

Sale of first home designed by acclaimed Canadian modernist, Arthur Erickson, stirs concern among preservationists

2020-09-10T13:33:00-04:00

Sold late August for nearly $2.75 million, Arthur Erickson's Filberg House in Comox, British Columbia was designed in 1959 and is said to be the first residential property designed by the Vancouver-born architect. The recent sale of the home has stirred up some concern amongst Erickson fans. Some worry about the future of the residence, specifically in regards to its historical preservation.

Architectural photographer and board member of the Arthur Erickson Foundation and a long-time friend of the architect told CBC that he strongly believed the home should be preserved and that "It should be with architectural people who can decide who is best to have it. I would love to see the city of Comox take it over and have it as a center."

The Mid-Century Modern home has 14-foot ceilings and 280 degree views of its 7+ acre lot. The Filberg House also boasts more than 700ft of waterfront, overlooks the Salish Sea, Comox Bay, Mt. Washington, and Beaufort Mountain range. It has 4 bedrooms and...

From Malibu to London to Sydney, the most expensive homes sold in 2018

2018-12-31T16:11:00-05:00

It is clear not everyone is tightening the purse strings in tougher economic times following a year of record-smashing home sales in 2018. Despite global boom-time economies starting to wane, the big spenders were still out in force snapping up some of the most expensive properties on the planet right up until the end of the year.

A round-up of the world's five priciest homes sold in 2018, plus another three that are still on the market in case you're looking for a swanky new abode in 2019.

The Real Corporate Landlords of Atlanta

2014-09-09T14:19:00-04:00

“It’s not rare for us to go and try to make sure that no one buys the house of someone who’s facing foreclosure,” says Rob Call, an organizer for Occupy Our Homes Atlanta (OOHA). In Georgia, houses are publicly auctioned every first Tuesday of the month on each county courthouse’s steps. "[...] these auctions were mostly vacant. No one was really trying to go after these homes, but then they were [suddenly] swamped with people bidding up houses with quick access to sizable cashier’s checks.”

All-cash deals account for nearly half of all home sales

2014-05-09T13:10:00-04:00

All-cash deals hit a record 43% of home sales during the first three months of 2014, according to RealtyTrac. That's up from 19% a year earlier and the highest level reported since RealtyTrac began tracking the deals in early 2011. The jump is due to two main factors: strict lending standards that make it difficult to get a mortgage and intense buyer competition.