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Articles by Amy Gamerman
Opinion: Elon Musk is colonizing Earth
Starbase, Texas The gleaming new city checks every box: school, medical center, recreational center, sushi bar. There’s even a dog park with hoops and climbing toys. But you and your dog are not welcome; “Private” warns the sign at its entrance. And don’t even think of stopping by for a tuna roll: The streets of black-and-white houses are blocked off by electronic access gates that encircle the city like a medieval moat.
Elon Musk Is Colonizing Earth -- By Amy Gamerman, New York Times
Elon Musk Is Colonizing Earth -- By Amy Gamerman, New York Times ... In this town,, almost every communal space is private property. A company controlled by the worlds richest man owns nearly all of it. He shapes its future. This is Starbase, Texas, the city that Elon Musk built on Americas ragged hem at the southern border as the home for SpaceX, his aerospace and artificial intelligence company.
Where Musk Is King
The gleaming new city checks every box: school, medical center, recreational center, sushi bar. There’s even a dog park with hoops and climbing toys. But you and your dog are not welcome; “Private” warns the sign at its entrance. And don’t even think of stopping by for a tuna roll: The streets of black-and-white houses are blocked off by electronic access gates that encircle the city like a medieval moat.
Elon Musk Is Colonizing Earth
The gleaming new city checks every box: school, medical center, recreational center, sushi bar. There’s even a dog park with hoops and climbing toys. But you and your dog are not welcome; “Private” warns the sign at its entrance. And don’t even think of stopping by for a tuna roll: The streets of black-and-white houses are blocked off by electronic access gates that encircle the city like a medieval moat.
ANNIE LEONARD & ANDRE CAROTHERS-PROTEST-Respect It. Defend It. Use It.
Click here, to View as Webpage. To unsubscribe scroll to bottom. Scroll for links to curated articles Top: Timely links you will want to shareBelow: Leonard & Carothers-related linksANNIE LEONARD & ANDRE CAROTHERSPROTEST: Respect it. Defend it. Use It.YouTube, Podomatic ApplePodcasts,aworldthatjustmightwork.com Learn more: theprotestbook.com ANNIE LEONARD created the video documentary, The Story of Stuff, and led Greenpeace US for a decade.
Congressmen push for forest appeals rules
WASHINGTON — Conservationists and timber industry officials are at odds once again as the U.S. Forest Service considers changes in its appeals process. The timber industry is pushing for the changes, arguing that the current lengthy appeals process is slowing the state’s economy. Industry has accused environmentalists of using the appeals process to block the development of millions of acres of national forest land.
When a Multimillion-Dollar Home Comes With Its Very Own Squatter
Abigail Palanca, licensed real estate salesperson and head of the Abby Palanca Team at Serhant in Brooklyn, NY It was a beautiful home, over 4,000-square-feet, with a lot of restored details. We listed it at $4 million. The sellers had moved out, and we staged the home. When it’s staged and nobody’s living there, everything’s in perfect order every time you go back. But we were noticing that every time we went to show it, there was something slightly out of place.
Awaxaawippíia
Excerpted from “The Crazies: The Cattleman, the Wind Prospector, and a War Out West” by Amy Gamerman. Copyright © 2025 by Amy Gamerman. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc. May not be republished without the express permission of Simon & Schuster. In the beginning, there were the mountains, and the wind flowed over them.
Awaxaawippíia
Posted inCulture Protected: Awaxaawippíia Excerpted from ‘The Crazies: The Cattleman, the Wind Prospector, and a War Out West’ Amy Gamerman
‘Luckily Nobody Got Hurt.’ These Real-Estate Pros Went to the Extreme
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‘Luckily Nobody Got Hurt.’ These Real-Estate Pros Went to the Extreme.
Christa Kearns, Realtor, The Corcoran Group, Westhampton Beach, N.Y. It was a three-bedroom, two-bath ranch, super cute. The owner’s grown son and daughter lived with her. The house was super well-maintained—it just reeked of weed. But there was a line out the door at the first open house, and multiple bids. It went from list to contract in a total of seven days. The seller was going to move to Florida when the sale closed, and her adult children were going to move into a rental property she owned.
Wearing Heels? While Selling Homes? The Brokers Who Took It a Step Too Far
What are the pros and cons of showing a house in high heels? Michelle Tepper, broker associate, Sotheby’s International Realty, Sherman Oaks, Calif. This was very early in my career. The buyers were a young couple who wanted to buy a house, and I wanted to look super professional. I wore a navy blue pantsuit—I think it was Ann Taylor—with a flared, wide leg. I remember I was roasting in it. And open-toe strappy sandals, with like a two-and-a-half inch heel.
Wearing Heels? While Selling Homes? The Brokers Who Took It a Step Too Far
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Wearing Heels? While Selling Homes? The Brokers Who Took It a Step Too Far
By Your browser does not support the audio tag. 00:00 / 04:15 This article is in your queue. Michelle Tepper, broker associate, Sotheby’s International Realty, Sherman Oaks, Calif. This was very early in my career. The buyers were a young couple who wanted to buy a house, and I wanted to look super professional. I wore a navy blue pantsuit—I think it was Ann Taylor—with a flared, wide leg. I remember I was roasting in it. And open-toe strappy sandals, with like a two-and-a-half inch heel.
Selling a Cat Lover’s Home When You’re Not a Cat Person
By Your browser does not support the audio tag. 00:00 / 04:11 This article is in your queue. April Rogerson, real-estate agent, Century 21 Connect Realty, Atlanta, Georgia Sometimes cat people are a little bit special, and this client was an all-around special case. The kicker was the cats. She had four cats. I had to get to the property thirty minutes early to open the front door and back door to air out the place. I had to poop and scoop the litter box.
He Got Tired of His Big House, So He Built a Small One in the Backyard
Accessory dwelling units are having a moment, as homeowners build miniature houses to use just for themselves By Your browser does not support the audio tag. 00:00 / 02:01 This article is in your queue. Bruce Johnston loves his Berkeley, Calif., home: a Modernist gem by the architect William Wurster that he’s owned since 1977. Johnston, a retired doctor and art collector, spent decades happily tending the four-bedroom, 2,929-square-foot house and the gardens on its steep ⅓-acre lot.
The Crazies
A dazzling piece of narrative nonfiction about land lust and the American West, The Crazies tells the story of a wind farm that triggers a 21st century range war between a struggling fifth-generation rancher and the billionaires next door. Most locals in Big Timber, Montana learn to live with the wind. Rick Jarrett sought his fortune in it.
He Surprised His Wife With a Penthouse. Just One Problem: She Hated It.
Q: Have you ever worked with a client who bought a home as a surprise? Jason Schommer, associate broker, the Corcoran Group, Bridgehampton, N.Y. The wife had been looking for a vacation home in Sag Harbor for a couple of years. I was doing an open house at a very traditional shingle-style home, with five bedrooms and a pool. She came and looked at it. Then she brought her husband and her three young kids. I could tell she had really fallen in love with this house.
He Surprised His Wife With a Penthouse. Just One Problem: She Hated It.
Jason Schommer, associate broker, the Corcoran Group, Bridgehampton, N.Y. The wife had been looking for a vacation home in Sag Harbor for a couple of years. I was doing an open house at a very traditional shingle-style home, with five bedrooms and a pool She came and looked at it. Then she brought her husband and her three young kids. I could tell she had really fallen in love with this house.
Twenty-Something Showings Later, a Deal Was Finally Done-Or So His Real-Estate Broker Thought
Have you ever worked with a client with commitment issues? Tina Christensen, broker-associate, The Agency, Denver I probably saw 15 or 20 houses over a four-month period with this client. He was never interested in any of them—until they got multiple offers or went under contract. Then all of a sudden, he’d be like, “Are they accepting backup offers?” We did make an offer on a house back in February. It got multiple offers, but he wouldn’t come up on the price.
Twenty-Something Showings Later, a Deal Was Finally Done-Or So His Real-Estate Broker Thought
By Amy Gamerman Oct. 4, 2023 5:00 pm ET Have you ever worked with a client with commitment issues? Tina Christensen, broker-associate, The Agency, Denver Copyright ©2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
‘There Were Red Flags Everywhere.’ When Extramarital Affairs Interfere With Real-Estate Deals
Have you ever become entangled in a client’s extramarital affairs? Vickey Barron, real-estate broker at Compass, New York City The client was paying cash for a $9 million apartment in a new development in the West Village—two bedrooms, beautiful views. When he came for the walk-through he brought this young, attractive girl with him and she brought her mother. She’s walking through with her high heels and her Chanel.
‘There Were Red Flags Everywhere.’ When Extramarital Affairs Interfere With Real-Estate Deals
What to Read Next
‘I’ve Never Seen a Glass Door Explode.’ When Home Showings Get Physical.
Q: Have you ever had a brawl break out at one of your listings? Tori Atwell, broker-associate, The Agency, Los Altos, Calif. This was in the early 1990s. I was at a property with my partner, who is my husband. It was a potential listing. The owners were a nice enough couple, in their 50s or 60s. The wife shows us around the house with the husband following. Then we go in the backyard and look around.
‘I’ve Never Seen a Glass Door Explode.’ When Home Showings Get Physical
By Amy Gamerman July 10, 2023 4:35 pm ET Q: Have you ever had a brawl break out at one of your listings? Tori Atwell, broker-associate, The Agency, Los Altos, Calif. Copyright ©2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Would You Do Acupuncture to Win a Listing? This Real-Estate Agent Did
What’s the weirdest request you’ve ever gotten from a client? Dee Dee Guggenheim Howes, real-estate agent, Compass Real Estate, Houston I had a listing appointment with a gentleman who owned a beautiful house on one of the prettiest streets in Houston. I brought my two assistants with me because it was a big house—like 12,000 square feet—and we needed to take notes. We were greeted by the housekeeper and shown into the formal living area.
Would You Do Acupuncture to Win a Listing? This Real-Estate Agent Did
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Luxury and refinement at the country estate with everything
The term estate tends to get overused in real estate circles these days – but not in this case. Set among 12.1ha of park-like grounds, this gracious home at 1620 Kangaloon Road, Kangaloon in the Southern Highlands has everything country living is known for, all within easy reach of Sydney. The main residence is a single level, architect-designed home with seven bedrooms and four bathrooms spread across the floorplan. Entry is via a tree-lined walkway leading to a spacious reception area.
Their Offer Was Accepted. The Only Problem—the House Wasn’t for Sale. | Kanebridge News
Q: Have you ever found yourself in a real-estate deal with a stone-cold criminal? Katin Reinhardt, real-estate agent, The Oppenheim Group, Orange County, Calif. My client was looking for a house in Floral Park. We struck out on a couple, and then one pops up on the market. He sends me the listing and says, “I absolutely love this house.” It’s big, it’s got a pool—everything he wanted. It needs some work, but for $2 million it was pretty darn good.
Their Offer Was Accepted. The Only Problem-The House Wasn’t For Sale
Q: Have you ever found yourself in a real-estate deal with a stone-cold criminal? My client was looking for a house in Floral Park. We’ve struck out on a couple, and then one pops up on the market. He sends me the listing and says, “I absolutely love this house.” It’s big, it’s got a pool—everything he wanted. It needs some work, but for $2 million it was pretty darn good.
Amid Mounting Legal Woes, Alec Baldwin Cuts Price on His Longtime Hamptons Home
Actor Alec Baldwin dropped the price of his Hamptons estate by more than $4 million last week, just days before it was announced that he will be charged with involuntary manslaughter for the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie “Rust.” On Thursday, prosecutors in New Mexico announced that Mr. Baldwin, a producer and lead actor in the Western film, will be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Their Client Was Ready to Buy the Home. Then Came the Curveball.
Q: Has a buyer ever thrown a curveball at a deal, making a request that almost derailed the sale? Frances Katzen, broker and head of the Katzen Team, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, New York City I had a buyer who was adamant about having a very quiet apartment. He was a nice guy, very smart, but he had an issue with noise. He didn’t want to have any kind of impact from the city once he stepped into his home. I worked with him for nine months.
Their Client Was Ready to Buy the Home. Then Came the Curveball.
Q: Has a buyer ever thrown a curveball at a deal, making a request that almost derailed the sale? Frances Katzen, broker and head of the Katzen Team, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, New York City
It Looked Like the Perfect Apartment, but It Didn’t Pass the Smell Test
Julia Boland, associate real-estate broker, principal of the Boland Team at the Corcoran Group, New York City The owner was a friend of mine, but I had no idea she had a pig. She had a beautiful condominium on the Upper East Side: a three-bedroom duplex. She and her husband had the primary suite. The second bedroom, which had its own balcony, was Milly’s room. Milly was a 190-pound Berkshire pig, white with black spots. I’ve changed her name to protect the innocent. They were having a cocktail party.
It Looked Like the Perfect Apartment, but It Didn’t Pass the Smell Test
The owner was a friend of mine, but I had no idea she had a pig. She had a beautiful condominium on the Upper East Side: a three-bedroom duplex. She and her husband had the primary suite. The second bedroom, which had its own balcony, was Milly’s room. Milly was a 190-pound Berkshire pig, white with black spots. I’ve changed her name to protect the innocent. They were having a cocktail party.
These Real-Estate Pros Took Their Deals to the Grave (Literally) Original
It was an estate sale in Carroll Gardens. Estate sales are usually complicated, with families and lawyers, but I’ve never experienced anything like this. I was representing the buyers. Basically, the title company wouldn’t clear us to close because they couldn’t find the death certificates of the owners’ deceased grandparents. They had died in the 1960s, and in a very typically Brooklyn-Italian situation, the son had inherited the house.
‘Can You Send Two Guys With an Ax?’ A Pair of Real-Estate Pros Get Locked Inside Listings
Chris Toland, associate real-estate broker, The Agency in New York City I was with buyers at a new development in Brooklyn that was having an open house. We got there late. I think the open house ended at 4 p.m. and we got there at 3:45. It was a fairly small building, like 12 or 15 units. We spoke to a sales agent, took our tour, saw the model apartment. The agent said, “If you want to see the other apartments, go on up, they’re open.” Pre-Covid, open houses weren’t as regulated as they are today.
‘Can You Send Two Guys With an Ax?’ A Pair of Real-Estate Pros Get Locked Inside Listings
Q: Have you ever gotten locked in a home with potential buyers during a showing? Chris Toland, associate real-estate broker, The Agency in New York City I was with buyers at a new development in Brooklyn that was having an open house. We got there late. I think the open house ended at 4 p.m. and we got there at 3:45. It was a fairly small building, like 12 or 15 units. We spoke to a sales agent, took our tour, saw the model apartment.
Buy a Home During Mercury Retrograde? Not in This Universe.
Joanne Greene, associate broker, Brown Harris Stevens in New York City I ran into the wife of an old client of mine. They were deciding, “Should we renovate or should we move?” So we go out, we start looking at things. It was really about seeing what was out there, as opposed to doing a renovation. We found something that was way out of their price range, $12.5 million, on the Upper East Side. But I knew these people, and it was a perfect apartment for them.
Buy a Home During Mercury Retrograde? Not in This Universe.
I ran into the wife of an old client of mine. They were deciding, “Should we renovate or should we move?” So we go out, we start looking at things. It was really about seeing what was out there, as opposed to doing a renovation. We found something that was way out of their price range, $12.5 million, on the Upper East Side. But I knew these people, and it was a perfect apartment for them.
Tampa Moves From Grit to Glitter
Water Street Tampa, a $3.5 billion-plus planned district, on a 56-acre stretch of waterfront that had been mostly parking lots, is wrapping up its first phase of construction. Pedestrian-friendly with 45-foot-wide sidewalks, bike lanes and plazas shaded by live oaks and bald cypress trees, Water Street combines upscale, amenity-stuffed residential towers and terraced offices with shops, an outdoor food court and green spaces.
These Home Showings Went Well Until Plot Twist! Everyone Got Trapped in an Elevator.
Mickey Conlon I was selling a townhouse on the Upper East Side that had an old-fashioned elevator, the kind with the birdcage doors. The townhouse had been renovated by a developer. The developer said, “The elevator is new, it’s working perfectly, but please don’t use it. They’re working on it.” There were constant reassurances about the elevator, and this was what my partner, Tom Postilio, and I would communicate to clients. A top broker brought his lovely clients, who were visiting from London.
These Home Showings Went Well Until Plot Twist! Everyone Got Trapped in an Elevator
There were constant reassurances about the elevator, and this was what my partner, Tom Postilio, and I would communicate to clients. A top broker brought his lovely clients, who were visiting from London. We took them through the house, and the showing seemed to be going very well. They didn’t have any questions.
Once Known as the Land of Hooters and ‘Magic Mike,’ Tampa Has Discovered Its Cool Factor
Bryan Pascual loves his hometown of Tampa, Fla., visiting often from his current home in Puerto Rico. But the 41-year-old entrepreneur is the first to admit that for much of his life, Tampa was “an A-minus, if you will, or even a B-plus” city with a nondescript downtown and a down-market reputation.
Once Known as the Land of Hooters and ‘Magic Mike,’ Tampa Has Discovered Its Cool Factor
By | Photographs and Video by Amie Santavicca for The Wall Street Journal July 13, 2022 12:01 pm ET Bryan Pascual loves his hometown of Tampa, Fla., visiting often from his current home in Puerto Rico. But the 41-year-old entrepreneur is the first to admit that for much of his life, Tampa was “an A-minus, if you will, or even a B-plus” city with a nondescript downtown and a down-market reputation.
“It Was Like Something Out of ‘Ozark’”: Real-Estate Pros Discover Secret Rooms During Showings
Dylan Eckardt, Real-estate agent, Nest Seekers International, Southampton, N.Y., and Beverly Hills I showed this beautiful house in Amagansett, a new construction listed at $8.5 million. After the showing, I’m getting in my car when I look up and I see a light on somewhere upstairs. So I go back in the house. It’s all dark. I went upstairs and opened one of the walk-in closets. There’s no light on in there. I push the clothes away so I can see what’s going on.
“It Was Like Something Out of ‘Ozark’”: Real-Estate Pros Discover Secret Rooms During Showings
June 22, 2022 2:00 pm ET Have you ever stumbled across a secret room when you were showing a listing? Dylan Eckardt, Real-estate agent, Nest Seekers International, Southampton, N.Y., and Beverly Hills I showed this beautiful house in Amagansett, a new construction listed at $8.5 million. After the showing, I’m getting in my car when I look up and I see a light on somewhere upstairs. So I go back in the house. It’s all dark. I went upstairs and opened one of the walk-in closets.
These Real-Estate Pros Weren’t Prepared for What They Discovered Inside a Listing’s Closet
Marcia Hawken | Realtor, Downing-Frye Realty, Naples, Fla. I had a listing for a condo in a gorgeous high-rise in Pelican Bay, a concierge building overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The owners were a young couple and they didn’t use the condo very much. He was a trader on Wall Street. I knew his parents. I had it on the market for a while, so I was thrilled to get a showing in September, which is usually a very slow month. I went up in the elevator before the agent came with her clients.
Home Prices Are Soaring Along Wisconsin’s Geneva Lake-but Homeowners Aren’t Taking the Bait
When Chicago went up in flames in the Great Fire of 1871, the city’s upper crust grabbed the family silver and boarded railroad trains to Lake Geneva, Wis., a backwoods town on a sparkling lake about 80 miles to the north. In the following decades, the area’s 7.5-mile-long freshwater lake became a summer playground for Chicago meatpacking barons, brewery kings and lumberyard tycoons, who built grand waterfront estates and chugged around its shores in mahogany steam yachts.
Home Prices Are Soaring Along Wisconsin’s Geneva Lake-but Homeowners Aren’t Taking the Bait
Many residents have decided to hold on to their Gilded Age mansions, despite high demand for these tony waterfront properties By | Photographs and Videos by Kevin Serna for The Wall Street Journal May 24, 2022 3:00 pm ET When Chicago went up in flames in the Great Fire of 1871, the city’s upper crust grabbed the family silver and boarded railroad trains to Lake Geneva, Wis., a backwoods town on a sparkling lake about 80 miles to the north.
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