“Anyone who thinks fallen leaves are dead has never watched them dancing on a windy day.” – Shira Tamir
We hope everyone has been enjoying the beginning of the Fall season. Fall is often considered the cozy season. It’s a season for indulging in hearty comfort foods, reading by dim candlelight, and sharing stories around bonfires. Fall’s charm lies in its ability to wrap us in warmth and nostalgia, making it the perfect time to relish life’s simple pleasures.
I am always available if you have any questions about the real estate market, so please do not hesitate to reach out to me with a call, text, or email.
See you soon,
Joujou
INGREDIENTS
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2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter
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1 cup light or dark brown sugar
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3/4 cup pumpkin butter
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1/4 maple syrup
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2 large eggs
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1 tablespoon vanilla extract
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2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon baking soda
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2 teaspoons cinnamon
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1/2 teaspoon ginger
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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1 cup white chocolate chips or chunks
ESPRESSO GLAZE
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2 tablespoons salted butter
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1 cup powdered sugar
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3 tablespoons brewed espresso or strong coffee
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
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Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
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Add the butter to a medium pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown, until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes.
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Remove from the heat and pour into a large bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar, pumpkin butter, maple, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt, mixing until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate. Spread the dough out into the prepared dish.
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Bake for 25-30 minutes, until just set in the center. Let cool.
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Meanwhile, make the glaze. Add the butter to a small pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, espresso, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Drizzle the glaze over the bars. Let set for 5 minutes. Cut into bars, snack, and enjoy!
California Association of Realtors (C.A.R) Released Their 2024 Forecast!
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In Pontevedra, Spain, closing ultra-busy streets to cars and creating pedestrian zones starting in 2000 has resulted in population growth, increased home values, and a much higher birth rate compared to national averages. In 1950, there were no official “pedestrian zones” in the US or Europe, but by 1959 the first pedestrian zones were completed—one in Essen, Germany, and the other in Kalamazoo, Michigan. (Bloomberg)
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Tampa International Airport (TPA)
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Over the past decade, ultra-wealthy individuals and their firms have more than doubled their investments in apartments, largely in the sector known in the US as multifamily housing. (BLOOMBERG)
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Florida has over 4,500 islands! And 8,346 miles of coastline.
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Wastewater systems typically are at the lowest point in the community and often flow by gravity. In many cases, if you have a really large storm, those are the ones that do get flooded first. All but two of the Lower 48 US states have seen an increase in the number of heavy downpours happening each year, on average, compared to the 1950’s. London is just completing a massive $5 billion new sewage infrastructure project. Big cities can absorb these massive costs more easily by raising rates. About 25% of the US population relies on septic tanks but these can be less effective when the water table is high. (FT)
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These are the least expensive US states to retire in: West Virginia, Mississippi, Iowa, Alabama, Missouri, Oklahoma, Indiana, Kansas, Wyoming, and Arkansas. (BANKRATE)
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The 3 leading luxury car brands last year in terms of U.S. registrations were, in this order: Tesla (484,351), BMW (327,929), and Mercedes (269,511). Registrations of new luxury cars slipped 3.5% in 2022, slightly more than 2 million. Take surging Tesla out of the mix and the results are a luxury market down 11%, with higher lease pricing as one factor. that’s without the strike. But there’s been some rebound in 2023, and luxury vehicles had a fairly strong 18.8% share of the U.S. market in August.
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Have you noticed the volume of mega-chic spas opening around the world in ultra-luxe hotels? The Maybourne in Beverly Hills at the Montage is one example. Bulgari’s new hotel spa in Rome is a sight to behold. And if you like observing LUXE-inflation, look no further: the spa menus don’t quote pricing anymore, if you have to ask you should not be there, dummy! (FT)
HIDDEN COURTYARDS
What is more satisfying than strolling through Paris or Rome without a map and stumbling upon one of those magical cobbled courtyards filled with trees, vegetation, benches, and gathering areas surrounded by charming-to-impressive architecture?
Courtyards have numerous benefits including improving ventilation (especially maximizing cross-ventilation or the wind passing through your home or building), a source of more light, they connect humans to nature when visible year-round, they can serve as an extra ‘room’ shielded from high winds and direct sunlight, and they offer privacy and security. Often additions to homes are achieved by separation from an existing structure that creates a courtyard connecting the new ‘wing’.
Courtyards are a valuable element in architectural design and city planning, a place to gather and connect, and also to delight the senses.
