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Seattle's Escala: 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Love Nest
Seattle Escala

By Erika Riggs

Whether it's scintillating or offensive may be a matter of personal opinion, but few can deny the incredible buzz surrounding the erotic novel "Fifty Shades of Grey."

Posted online by British author E.L. James as a piece of "Twilight" fan fiction, the trilogy of books were picked up by a small publisher out of Australia in 2011. In March 2012, Vintage Books of Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group bid a seven-figure sum to gain rights to the manuscript. Even more recently Universal Pictures paid $5 million for filming rights.

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Banned, embraced and parodied for its graphic sexual content, "Fifty Shades of Grey," like the "Twilight" series, is putting Washington state on the map again. But instead of small-town Forks, where "Twilight" is set, "Fifty Shades ..." is set in downtown Seattle in the luxury condominium building Escala. It's in this high-rise penthouse where the submissive-domination sexual relationship between billionaire Christian Grey and naïve college student Anastasia Steele takes place.

While author James did take some creative liberties with her fiction -- you can't land a helicopter on the penthouse roof like it was done in the book, says Escala's director of sales, Erik Mehr -- he agrees that the Escala is still the best pick for a billionaire character like Grey.

"If you were going to pick something opulent," Mehr said, "This would be the building."

Situated in the downtown Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, the Escala is unlike many of the other luxury condo buildings. It's all about size, and how well-appointed the place is.

Amenities include a private spa, a gym with yoga studio, private dining room, full catering kitchen, and dining area with room for 140, theater room, dog run: Escala is a little more like a five-star hotel than a condo building.

That makes sense, says Mehr. The hotel concierge staff is run by a company that provides services to high-end hotels like the Salish Lodge and Four Seasons.

Needless to say, it's a condo building with everything a billionaire bachelor would want, and a place that many "Fifty Shades" fans are aching to learn about. Mehr said that about a year ago, his team began to get phone calls from people who wanted to know "the layouts of the penthouse and the details of the condos." Clearly, something was up. When the Escala held open houses, visitors included "Fifty Shades ... " fans who wandered about, checking on the amenities and basic floor models.

But with 70 percent of the units sold, the building is now only available for tours by appointment. And those who want to see one of the 5,200-square-foot, fully customizable and private penthouses are required to be pre-qualified.

While base models in the Escala started around $400,000, a penthouse runs between $4 to $6 million. Only one has been purchased, and although San Francisco Giants' star pitcher and Seattle native Tim Lincecum lives in the building, he bought the "sub-penthouse" layout for about $1.5 million instead.

Luxury Staircases That Step Up the Design Drama

Filed under: News

You may take the stairs for health purposes, but what about staircases for aesthetic reasons? After all, staircases can make a big, bold statement upon entering a home. And, for movie buffs, significant scenes have been played out on staircases, including Scarlett O'Hara's grand entrances and exits and Rocky's triumph in running up the stairs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

We found some impressive staircases in homes for sale, ranging from marble spirals to seemingly floating structures. The staircases below will make you feel like a million dollars and have you skipping the elevator more often that not.

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How to Negotiate Your Rent: 4 Key Steps

Filed under: News

By Vera Gibbons

As many potential buyers continue to shelve their purchase plans and opt to rent instead, vacancies are low, and rents, which take a big bite out of your household income, are high -- up 5.8 percent in the Chicago metropolitan area, for example; up 8.3 percent in Philadelphia. This makes finding a place -- at a price you can afford -- nothing short of challenging. Here's how to negotiate your rent:

1. Research rental prices.

Zillow's recent survey indicates that a whopping two-thirds of renters skip this step, and simply sign the lease, no questions asked. That's because information about fair prices on rental homes has been hard to come by. Enter Zillow's Rent Zestimates. Make this your starting point to determine the fair rental price of a home or apartment, and use this as a tool to negotiate your rent, too. In addition, look at similar rental listings on Zillow, check out the classifieds, talk to local real estate agents or property manager who specializes in rentals. And research the demand for rentals in your area. Knowledge is power!

2. Sell yourself.

If you have good credit (think: 720 or higher), solid references, a history of paying on time, a stable job and live your life responsibly and are respectful of others, that makes you a model tenant. And model tenants -- extremely tough to come by in this current economic environment -- save landlords both time and money.

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3. Go long.

Offer to sign a two-year lease at a one-year rate. Some landlords may go for this arrangement, particularly if the unit has been vacant for some time or if the landlord has multiple vacancies (not unheard of, even though it's technically their market). Plus, it saves them on cleanup and advertising costs.

Sweeten the pot

Landlords want to know what's in it for them. See if they'll give you a break on your rent if you agree to do some work -- like mow the lawn, tend to the garden, etc. Or consider paying several months worth of rent upfront, at a slightly reduced rate.

4. Don't fixate on money.

Assuming you've done your research and are not in a position to ask for lower rent, or are not getting the results you want, what about asking for other concessions, like free parking, free storage space, or a gym membership, perhaps? Just be polite, reasonable, and non-confrontational when making "the ask." And always be willing to walk. This means having a backup plan in place prior to negotiating.

Read the original article, "How to Negotiate Your Rent," on Zillow.

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7 Green Home Trends: From Baby Steps to Extreme Updates

Filed under: News

By Erika Riggs

Recycling is one thing, but a composting toilet? That's when you know you're taking the going-green trend to its, um, "natural" conclusion.

While many homeowners and builders are beginning to make changes to homes to incorporate eco-friendly products and materials, these are just the bud of the going-green trend. To really get the lowdown on what the seriously green-minded homeowners can do to help the cause, we've rounded up a list of fixes that can be done to a house, whether it was built in 1912 or 2012.

1. Update your bulbs.

You're going to have to change out your standard incandescent bulbs eventually. This year marked the first stage of phasing out 100-watt incandescent bulbs under the CLEAN Energy Act, but 70-, 60- and 40-watt bulbs are next on the chopping block. Switching to compact fluorescent lights (CFL) or LEDs not only conserves significant electricity, but significant savings as well -- more than $57 over the life of the CFL, one report found.

2. Upgrade to Energy Star appliances

One of the simplest ways to upgrade your home in a green way is to purchase an energy-saving appliance. The best bet is to find one that earns the government's "Energy Star" rating. The appliances are designed to reduce greenhouse emissions as well as your energy usage over time. Many products can mean tax rebates for your green efforts.

3. Reuse rainwater.

The simplest place to reuse rainwater? In your garden. By installing an affordable rain barrel that catches runoff from your roof or gutters, you can save enough rain to water your lawn or growing spring garden.

4. Get geothermal

Even if your home state is plagued by cold winters or blistering hot summers, did you know that below the frost line the ground stays about the same temperature year-round? By tapping into this, you can cool or heat your home in a very eco-friendly way. This isn't a way to create electricity, but rather reduce the amount of energy you use to maintain your home's temperature. Installing a geothermal system isn't cheap (estimates range from $11,000 to $30,000 for a 2,000-square-foot home), but with tax incentives and significant energy bill reductions, the savings are incredible. If you plan on being in your home for a long time, it could be worth it and perhaps add to your home's re-sale value.

5. Solar panels

Solar energy has been powering calculators for years, but it's only recently become more common in homes due to a drop in costs of installing a solar energy system. While powering your home using solar energy still isn't cheap, it's one of the few ways that a homeowner can "live off the grid" by storing extra energy in batteries. The other option is to continue a connection to the utility grid, buying the power you need and selling the power back when you produce enough on your own.

6. Reuse 'gray' water

The EPA estimates that an average family of four uses 400 gallons of water every day. While not all that water can be reused, 'gray' water, which is water from your sink, laundry, but not contaminated by waste (i.e., not toilet water) can be recycled. While not as common as some other green home features, gray water recycling systems take the water from your morning shower or from yesterday's washing machine cycle and filters it for reuse in your toilet or your garden.

7. Composting toilet

There's green. Then there's really green. Even a home completely "off-the-grid" won't necessarily have a composting toilet, but when installed properly, a composting toilet is the final nod to going green. A composting toilet will break down the waste through natural decomposition -- the only thing needed is the right temperature (about 65 degrees) and enough oxygen. However to keep this environment, some key things need to be monitored, which may be more effort than most people are interested in.

See the original article on Zillow.

6 Tips to Negotiating Your Lease Agreement

Filed under: News

By Jessica Hickock

The time to negotiate your lease agreement is not when you are sitting down at the table with the landlord and/or property manager ready to sign the agreement. You need to talk the terms through before the lease signing date is set, but not until after you have an approved application. If you start off the initial conversation with the landlord/property manager requesting lease term negotiations, you will probably rub them the wrong way.

1. Make sure the timing is right.

As a property manager, I get first-time phone calls from potential tenants wanting to know if I will take a lower amount for the rent. I don't even know their names yet, nor if they will qualify for the property, so I am already put off by their request and probably won't be willing to negotiate anything with them. You must show some good faith by turning in your application stating your interest in the property.

2. Respect the landlord's rules (policies) first before you start with your negotiations.

Respect goes a long way. For example, the landlord may have written into their lease agreement that they have a right to be in unit at any given time in order to make inspections, repairs, etc. You may not like this and want some sort of notice first before they show up. So be sure to make your request with a respectful tone and say something along the lines of "I'm fine with your right to inspect the property, however I would like to request a 24-hour notice by phone or e-mail before you come." This will go a long way with the landlord/property manager if you respect their terms, they will likely reciprocate.

3. Don't be greedy in your negotiation requests.

"Shoot for the moon" should not be your goal in making requests. Asking for 3 months free of rent AND a reduction in the monthly rent amount will turn off an owner. They will be more likely to let the property sit vacant for three months in an effort to get the full rent amount. Keep your requests reasonable and scale back any over-the-top ideas.

4. Remember that negotiations are two-sided.

While the market may be favorable for tenants, you still need to have some consideration for the landlord/property manager. Maybe a reduction in rent is not possible for the whole one-year lease term. However, maybe the reduction will be considered for the first 4 months and then offer to pay a graduated rent amount for the remainder of the lease term. If you show an effort of unification and benefit to both parties, they will most likely be willing to work with you.

5. Rent is not the only thing you can negotiate.

While you may be trying to get a deal on your monthly rent amounts, the landlord/property manager may be set on receiving a specific amount and may seem to stonewall you on reducing the rent amount. But you can still negotiate a benefit. Consider requesting that the landlord/property manager either clean the carpets, paint the interior living room, or offer to have the property generally cleaned once a month for the first 3 months for you. Or maybe you will be able to work out a security deposit adjustment.

6. Be sure that all negotiations are in writing and agreed upon

If anything is handwritten into the lease agreement, then be sure that all parties initial (or sign) and that it is consistent on all copies of the lease agreement.

Keep a good attitude in check and do not give an aura of an ungrateful or arrogant attitude. The worst thing that a landlord or property manager can say is "no." You are not forced to rent that property, so you can always say "no thank you" too and move on to another property if the lease terms are not what you want. However, arrogant and ungrateful attitudes will only result in a stronger "no" from the landlord and less tolerance for negotiations and agreements. Keep that in mind.

See the original article, "6 Tips to Negotiating Your Lease Agreement" on Zillow.

(Found on realestate.aol.com)