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October 14, 2013

Check out the most beautiful pool in America!

pool-plus-houseWe’ve seen this gorgeous quarry swimming pool bop around our Pinterest feed for months now. But the pins we saw never had any information attached, and when we clicked through, we’d find just a photo and admiring comments — no attribution.

 

(Click here to go to a slideshow with before-and-after pictures.)

Then, by coincidence, we stumbled across the CNN Money video below, posted only a few days ago. We took that as a sign that we needed to pursue it further, and we’re glad we did. It’s a fascinating story.

The pool is built into a Berkshires limestone quarry in Sheffield, Massachusetts, on about 50 acres owned by Joel Goldstein, the president of Mercedes Distribution Co. (no, not that Mercedes). But Goldstein didn’t actually dream up and build the pool (although an HGTV “Cool Pools” segment from last year certainly might leave that impression). Yahoo Homes learned the background story by talking to Michael Giannamore, the vice president of Aqua Pool & Patio, whose Connecticut-based family business built the pool.

(Click here to go to a slideshow with before-and-after pictures.)

Goldstein greatly improved and beautified the property, but the transformation of the quarry into a pool was the previous owner’s project. The property is “buried in the woods,” Giannamore told us, and she bought it expressly because of the quarry, where she wanted a “swimming hole.” She imposed no budget whatsoever, but she wanted the quarry as intact as possible. That ruled out “the most logical and predictable” solution, Giannamore said: concrete blocks lined with gunite (basically, cement sprayed from a firehose, he said), then covered with limestone to match.

That meant a degree of uncertainty probably never experienced by Aqua Pool before or since: The designers had no idea whether the pool would hold water. They had to leave the quarry’s three existing walls entirely untouched, and in the floor they were allowed only to jackhammer two trenches for cleaning nozzles. Weren’t there cracks in the limestone? we asked. “Oh yeah!” Giannamore exclaimed. “They’re big, too!” For all they knew, the water would immediately leak out when they finished the job and filled the pool — but the owner was OK with the risk, so they went ahead.

The finished pool is about 15,000 gallons, measuring roughly 20 by 40 feet, and deepening from about 3 feet at its shallowest to about 7 feet, Goldstein told CNN Money. The accompanying house — which we’re told Goldstein expanded from a simple poolhouse into a weekend home — is about 3,500 square feet.

So how’s the quarry pool doing at holding water in the 15 years since Aqua Pool broke ground? “Better than most swimming pools,” Giannamore told Yahoo Homes. “It holds water perfectly.” Evaporation isn’t a big problem, either, but it is a “service struggle,” he said, because you can’t cover the pool for the winter (a cover manufacturer laughed at him when he asked). So every year it fills with leaves and debris, requiring a power wash after the pool is drained; then it’s filled up with chlorinated water for a new swim season.

(Click here to go to a slideshow with before-and-after pictures.)

By now we’re sure you’re wondering, as we were, the obvious question. But alas: Giannamore wouldn’t tell us how much this all cost. “A lot” was all he’d allow. And it’s “better-looking in person than any video you’ll see.”

Is this the most beautiful backyard pool in America? We think it might just be — and we’ve seen plenty of spectacular pools (rounded up in a slideshow here), including Celine Dion’s spectacular backyard water park.

But if we’re wrong, we want to know! To upload photos of candidates, just join Yahoo Homes’ Flickr group — where, incidentally, we always welcome your original photos of home projects, features, etc., whether you’re an industry professional or just someone with a special home to show off. We find many of our story ideas in Yahoo Homes’ Flickr group, and we feature a photo from the group here on our Spaces blog every weekday.

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October 9, 2013

Thankfully There Were No “Angry Fan’s” at NFL QB Matt Shaub’s House

Matt SchaubTexans quarterback Matt Schaub said Wednesday he called team security and they spoke with the NFL because there were multiple people driving by his house and taking pictures and he wanted to be safe.

CBS Houston reported Tuesday evening that fans approached Schaub at his home and berated him for his recent poor play.

However, the quarterback, who is married and has three daughters, said to his knowledge nobody showed up in his driveway and screamed obscenities.

“To my knowledge that did not happen. Whether someone did pull into the driveway or not, to my knowledge that didn’t happen and if they did we’d contact team personnel to let them know something went on.

“When you see multiple people driving down the street taking photos of your home and you’re not sure why that usually leads you to contacting team security. My main focus is to make sure my family is safe and my home,” he said.

Schaub declined to reveal whether or not he has hired personal security, saying that was between himself, his wife and the team.

Earlier Wednesday, the Houston Police Department tweeted to clear up reports about the incident.

 

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October 6, 2013

Alex Rodriguez Buys New Condo in Miami Beach for $2.1 Million

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Banned for 211 games and in danger of losing his baseball career for good, embattled Alex Rodriguez has bought a high-rise condo as his new hideout,according to Gossip Extra.

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Surprisingly, A-Rod dropped only $2.1 million on his new place. Sure, that’s a lot for most homeowners and even for Miami Beach — the median home value is currently $310,400 — but Rodriguez just sold his custom Miami estate for $30 million in May 2013. His New York Yankees salary for the 2013 season was $28 million.

Perhaps Rodriguez was anticipating not making as much (or perhaps nothing at all) in 2014, so he decided a major downsize was in order, choosing the 3-bedroom condo for his new residence. He purchased the home in late June under a vaguely named trust held by his real estate company Newport Property Ventures, which owns about 15 apartment complexes.

Just because Rodriguez’s new condo is nowhere near the price of his former beachfront home doesn’t mean it isn’t luxe. The condominium complex sits on Millionaire’s Row in Miami Beach and comes with a host of high-end amenities such as an enormous fitness center, spa, infinity pool, 24-hour concierge and valet parking. The units themselves have modern kitchens with high-end appliances, and the bathrooms feature limestone, marble and river rock. Rodriguez’s new home came fully furnished.

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October 4, 2013

Kevin Durant Home Is Now For Sale

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The alleged Kevin Durant-Dwyane Wade feud may be the talk of Twitter, but over on realtor.com, it’s KD’s Oklahoma City home that is generating all the buzz.

The Thunder superstar has listed his estate in the suburbs of northwest Oklahoma City. Durant purchased the residence in 2011 for $1.799 million and now looks to bank roughly $250,000 on the property if he gets his current asking price of $1.95 million.

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Located in Gaillardia’s exclusive and gated Club Villa neighborhood, Durant’s home is situated on a pair of lots that include a main home and a large guest house with a palatial pool area set in between. In all, the property offers five bedrooms, three in the main house and a pair in the guest house, four bathrooms and approximately 5,545 square feet of living space.

Indoors, the main home sports vaulted ceilings with exposed beams, hardwood flooring and a contemporary spiral staircase. A chef’s kitchen comes complete with stainless steel appliances and a breakfast bar. The guest house has its own kitchen as well as a home theater.

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Durant’s decision to sell may be related to a pair of purchases the he recently made. According to a story in the Oklahoman, the Thunder star paid $1.769 million for a pair of brownstones in Deep Deuce, a neighborhood located just a few blocks away from Chesapeake Energy Arena. The two residences, which will be combined into one 7,400-square-foot spread, is also a short walk away from Durant’s new Bricktown restaurant, which is set to open later this year.

In addition to his Oklahoma City dealings, Durant also completed a final pass in Seattle earlier this year when he handed off his Mercer Island, WA, home. Durant was drafted by the SuperSonics in 2007 and played a lone season for the Emerald City franchise before it was relocated to Oklahoma City. He originally listed the contemporary home in March 2012 for $2.799 million and eventually sold it in February 2013 for $2.435 million.

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October 4, 2013

Former NBA Champion Larry Bird Selling Naples Home for $4.8 Million

Who has time for Florida sunshine when all of Hoosierdom has been promised an NBA title run?

larry bird imdb

Source: IMDb

The answer, it appears, is Larry Bird, president of the Indiana Pacers and maker of bold predictions.

After a year’s rest for his ailing back, the former Boston Celtics great is back in the saddle as leader of his home-state Pacers. That leaves much less time for Bird and his wife, Dinah, to hang out in their custom home in the Gulf Coast enclave of Naples, FL, which is now listed for $4.8 million.

The News-Press in Fort Myers reports that when Bird signed a multi-year deal to runthe Pacers back on July 1, it was clear there would be little time left in their schedules for the Birds to fly to Florida.

“Signing a multiyear contract, it’s apparent his ability to keep a large home in Naples is limited,” Bird’s agent, Jill Leone, told the News-Press, adding: “They love the area. Everybody loves the area. I’m sure there will be a time when he can spend more time there, but right now physically he’s required to be in the Pacers arena. When you’re an executive running a team, you don’t get much time off. It’s a very active, 365-day job.”

larry bird

Bird and his wife first bought a home in Naples in 1993, but sold that property in 1998 in favor of this Park Shore neighborhood property. The Birds then had the existing home at 308 Neapolitan Way, Naples, FL 34103 razed and, in its place, built this 6,000-square-foot residence.

Along with expansive views of Venetian Bay, Bird’s 4-bedroom, 6-bathroom home boasts a gourmet kitchen, state-of-the-art home theater with seating for 10, an infinity pool and 4-car garage. There’s also a tiki hut, which proves that despite Bird’s workmanlike demeanor, there’s at least a small chance he knows how to kick back and have a little fun.

Bird, 56, played 13 seasons for the Boston Celtics; coached the Pacers from 1997 until 2000 and then joined the front office in 2003. Last year, Bird had stepped away from his front-office duties, but is now recharged and back in charge.

In a new interview with The Indianapolis Star, Bird made a bold prediction: That the Pacers would defeat the defending champion Miami Heat and win the Eastern Conference title.

“Anything less than (a Finals appearance or a conference finals appearance) would be a disappointment. I think anything over 50 wins is a good season, but I believe we’re built more for the playoffs than we are for the regular season — because we’re deep and we’ll have time to prepare. It’s hard to beat 10 or 11 guys,’’ Bird said.

Larry Legend was able to relax in his Florida abode during his hiatus, which was apparently so reinvigorating that the NBA great is back in top form. During a training camp session this past summer, Bird is said to have hit 15 straight shots, inspiring awe from his Pacer players.

Interested in buying Bird’s home? Calculations show you will need to lay out $18,562 a month, based on 20 percent down payment ($960,000) and a 30-year fixed mortgage. If you don’t like that arrangement, there are approximately 726 other homes for sale in Naples.