My useful and useless facts thread

NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program
About 6 months ago, I was driving around the Mt. Olympus section of L.A. and saw a Beemer SUV with the plate SUBPRM1. I didn't have my camera, but traveled that area for the next month armed with one to snap a pic and post here. Alas, I never saw it again. I'd bet money he ditched the plate...if not, I'll bet the car has been keyed and had it's tires slashed several times since the bubble burst.
 
mortgagebrokerplate002-47vz4epsx.jpg
 
capt.da492b3e373943c5af1a68c4adbf63c3.kilauea_eruption_hidj102.jpg


HONOLULU - Visitors to Kilauea's summit have a rare chance to see a red, orange, and yellow glow emanate from a vent at Halemaumau Crater, traditionally considered to be the home of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess. Kilauea has been erupting continuously on the Big Island since 1983 and frequently offers views of lava oozing to the surface and flowing into the sea.

But it's rare for an incandescent glow to be seen at Halemaumau Crater, said Mardie Lane, a spokeswoman for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

The bright hot colors are not from lava. Though there is some magma underneath the ground in the area, it hasn't risen to the surface to create lava.

Instead, the colorful hues are created by superheated fumes and steam plumes bursting out of a vent in the crater.

Linky
 
Upside-Down House (Syzmbark, Poland)

This upside down design seems totally nonsensical–but that is exactly the message the Polish philanthropist and designer, Daniel Czapiewski, was trying to send. The unstable and backward construction was built as a social commentary on Poland’s former Communist era. The monument is worth a trip be it for a lesson in history or balance

03upside-down-house.jpg
 
Cactus House (Rotterdam, Netherlands)

Cool-looking would be a good enough reason for us, but this housing design was created to maximize each apartment’s outdoor space and indoor sunlight. The splaying stack of slabs creates big terraces for gardening and the irregular shape allows sun to enter from multiple angles.

04cactus-house.jpg
 
Cube House (Rotterdam, Netherlands)

Living in a tilted house is much easier than it looks—just ask the people living in these the Kijk-Kubus homes. Architect Piet Blom tipped a conventional house forty-five degrees and rested it upon a hexagon-shaped pole so that three sides face down and the other three face the sky. Each of the cube houses accommodates three floors: a living space including a kitchen, study and bathroom, the middle floor houses bedrooms and the top is the pyramid room that can act like an attic or viewing deck. These houses are quite expensive, but you can satisfy your curiosity by visiting the museum show house.

cubehouse.jpg
 
Habitat 67 (Montreal, Canada)

Apartments connect and stack like Lego blocks in Montreal's Habitat 67. Without a traditional vertical construction, the apartments have the open space that most urban residences lack, including a separate patio for each apartment.

12habitat67final.jpg
 
Single Hausz (Anywhere)

Inspired by a city billboard, this rendering of the pole-supported Single Hausz only needs a few feet of land to hold a home. And it can be installed in a variety of ground conditions so it can relocate to wherever your heart desires.

single-hauz-city.jpg
 
Trooper,

Was there not a source link for those abodes? I wouldn't mind taking another look and passing it on to friends. Thanks.
 
Housing trivia: Saving $100K by renting awhile longer? You can blow it in a month on a Malibu rental.

For rent: Summer house, $100K/month

April 21: In Malibu, some summer houses are going for beaucoup dinero. NBC's Jinah Kim has the story.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24239701#24239701

Actually, I wonder. Does the $100K/month rent make up for the depreciation on a Malibu place? That'd be some interesting numbers to run.
 
Back
Top