Sales of new homes increased 1.5% in March over February and more than 18% from a year ago. The new numbers, reported by the Commerce Department today (report-pdf), show that housing is likely to remain a driver of economic growth this year. Most analysts see greater gains ahead, as the spring buying season continues. The only … Read more

Architecture with capital letter A is a fascinating short movie produced by viaViLi, featuring many of the pioneering individuals who have helped shape the notion of modern architecture. The film compiles excerpts from interviews, documentaries and speeches of more than a dozen of the most influential architects of our time, including Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Meier, … Read more

The Agency is pleased to announce the launch of The Agency Research & Planning Group, a new division focused on tailored market intelligence and new development planning. The Agency welcomes John Pallante, Vice President, to lead the team, working directly with developers and their financial partners. “The Research & Planning team allows us to provide clients with … Read more

  With all the economic uncertainty around the world, one market has become the go-to ‘safe haven’ for wealthy investors: luxury housing. In a recent Forbes article, Morgan Brennan takes a look at the growing trend of billionaires turning to uber-luxury real estate as a “safe, relatively low-risk place to park cash that hedges against … Read more

In a recent issue of the Wall Street Journal’s Mansion section, real estate reporter Lauren Schuker Blum profiles the design business of veteran Hollywood manager Sandy Gallin, who in his next act has become a designer and home flipper to stars in his inner circle.… Read more

The worlds of art, film, and music are once again converging on the city of New York as an estimated 3 million people are expected to attend the 12th Annual Tribeca Film Festival in theaters across Lower Manhattan. Opening the festival tonight will be the music documentary “Mistaken for Strangers,” a tale about the indie … Read more

Housing starts jumped dramatically in March to their highest level in five years, with total starts gaining almost 47% over last March and up 7% from February 2013. According to the latest report from the Commerce Department, the seasonally adjusted annual rate reached 1.036 million, which Robert Wetenhell, of RBC Capital Markets, notes, is the first time … Read more

Jen Levinson is the ‘supermom’ founder of Jen’s List, a popular subscription e-mail newsletter and website that shares the latest in family activities, kid-friendly products and services. A mother of five, including two sets of twins, Jen had the idea for her newsletter when she was on bed rest for five months awaiting the birth of her first set of twins. Strictly by word of mouth, the Jen’s List email/networking group has now grown to over 16,000 families (and growing) all around the LA area.… Read more

How sophisticated is your pallete? In her new book, Modern Arts Desserts, pastry chef Caitlin Freeman turns iconic works of art into edible art that you, too, can bake right at home. The desserts she includes celebrate art by Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Henri Matisse, Jeff Koons, Frida Kahlo, and Wayne Thiebaud, among others. Each … Read more