Logs can be easily dealt with. 
The NC house (already under a contract!) actually has drywalled walls that dilute the wood! The “craftsman” above… no drywall other than in the entryway. BTW, that is not a classic craftsman. And that tree… this city apparently has a motto “Trees are the view!” I suspect the builder could not build without keeping that tree (per city codes).
2 Likes
My sister bought a house with 2. The previous owners kept kosher.
3 Likes
Why do I think that? Skylights are not always properly flashed, waterproofed and sealed.
Even if installed properly, the sun (UV rays), rain, temperature changes and other weather will eventually deteriorate glass, metal, plastic, wood, etc., nearly any type of building material. It’s just a matter of time.
Now, if skylights are being maintained and/or replaced every 10-15-20 years, then they likely won’t leak.
The house posted has about two or three dozen skylights, which to me, having some experience with skylights, I call them a maintenance headache.
I’d call yourself lucky that you’ve had no leaks, but I would certainly check them regularly.
We’ve replaced the roof twice (once right when we moved in) and have never had any issue whatsoever.
That’s great, but I’d check them often. You only have two skylights. The house posted has a million of them.
I’ll bet the roofer(s) either included the skylight maintenance in the roof bid and/or insisted on it, because if you did get a leak, the roofer would take the blame and have to go back and fix the damage, if there were any.
Remember, skylights are just windows that more directly face the sun, water, hail, snow, wind, tree sap, leaves, squirrels, birds (and their poop), etc. Windows and their seals do fail, if not properly maintained.
I’ve also had clients who kept kosher and also had two sinks, two dishwashers, and two ovens.
A little more about the $4.9 mil house in San Diego and the background.
The Hot Yoga guy had a long term girlfriend and they bought my friend’s house on Sorrento all cash. They had a baby but were not legally married. Obviously the guy turned into such a mess that they broke up. So his only heir is the baby but no will or trust. He went down the street and bought that big house to live in
He was in the middle of building the big pool and he died on the day of the final inspection. The pool contractor was meeting inspector at the house. He’s the one who found the body (or saw a bunch of blood and called cops). The inspector arrived same time as cops and they made him and pool contractor sit out at the curb for hours.
How do I know this??? The inspector had to keep calling me because I was next on the list that day.
1 Like
This is not the neighborhood where I would expect to find people keeping strict kosher. 
1 Like
Yeah, since another requirement is being able to walk to the synagogue, there tend to be pretty defined neighborhoods.
Our house is nearly all wood. We don’t have wooden open beam ceilings (those don’t provide protection from heat from UV rays). We have wooden walls and floors. I find the knotholes distracting and offputting. I guess it’s what happens with newer construction.
I really like wood, but even I find this house unappealing. There’s no place to rest your eyes from wood grain or other patterns. And the floors clash with the walls.
2 Likes
For $26 million. I would want better ocean views. On the other hand, “ an 18+ car showroom, which could also be used in many other ways, such as a bowling alley, gym, recording studio, shooting range, among many other flexible uses. ”.
4 Likes
Nice find. But there are some things that just don’t work for us. The wine room is kinda small… I guess we will have to keep looking for our dream estate! 
2 Likes
It’s funny, now that I’m looking at ‘second stage downsizing’ seeing all these big fancy homes just makes me think: “more to take care of; more to worry about.” lol. Even if you have a big staff -you’d have to worry about their salaries, job duties, supplies, taxes, etc.
I’ll just have to pass on the grand estates!
7 Likes
We bought a house almost two years ago (built in 1995) that has 10 skylights (6 in kitchen, 4 in master bath).
I agree that they can be a maintenance issue. While still remodeling, we had a big storm and this revealed that a couple in the kitchen needed new flashing. We had all of them really reinforced. The ones in the master bath were/are still holding up quite well.
If I were building new, I would hesitate about putting in skylights, though our builder says the new ones are really great.
I really like the light they provide, but I admit that whenever we get a lot of rain, I have a little discomfort, wondering if they are going to leak.
1 Like
I agree. I’d rather have half the square footage, but sweeping ocean views.
They did a good job making the house look very traditional. I was surprised to see it was built in 2013. I would have guessed much older (but "well maintained).
Pretty house.
2 Likes
I have never been a fan of houses that look like castles. Just seems odd. I guess some people feel “my home is my castle.”
I’m more of the idea that my home is my sanctuary, but I don’t want it to look like a church.
I love this thread.
3 Likes
The castle vibes are strong with this one!
https://www.ebby.com/ListingDetails/119-Private-Road-1820-Road-Clifton-TX-76634/14528938
It says it’s a residential building but one of the early pix – #5 – shows a huge room set up like a restaurant dining room, with many separate tables and chairs.
I googled a little. It looks like it was built primarily as a wedding venue. It’s called Parsons Castle.
1 Like