Viewer Question: Should we get rid of our plastic wood panel walls?
Hermanity Answer: Yes!...unless you're filming a '70s porno

Watch my hilarious & helpful response to a LOGO TV viewer whose husband wants  dark dingy plastic wood panel walls in their basement. Bless his heart, but some men are just clueless!  (That's why they need us!)

Have you ever had design disagreements with your boo? How did you resolve it? Is it true what they say: Happy Wife, Happy Life? 

Recently, the press  has sounded the alarm about China's real estate bubble.  Daily Mail & Huffington Post have all covered these infamous "ghost cities,"  which were built as hi-rise meccas in the middle of nowhere. As mentioned in the Bloomberg video, Kangbashi, a city in Inner Mongolia, is meant to house 136 million residents. Currently, there are only 30,000 denizens! 

I have a theory about China's astounding economic growth & prowess. They are going through puberty!  It's like they are an orphaned teenager who suddenly got a big inheritance. After strugglingly through childhood, they suddenly have a windfall of money....and they don't know what to do with it, but spend spend spend.  They are old enough to make decisions on their own but are still juveniles with massive purchasing power who lack experience & foresight. Just because you can buy a McMansion at 17 yrs old, doesn't mean you should.

That is what is happening in China. Entire cities are erected in a blink of an eye.   Buildings just built 20 yrs ago are razed to construct shiny gleaming new ones. It's not just speculation of the housing market that's gone bonkers. This mentaliy of an ever escalating society pervades their  culture. They intend to build forever, with no regard to long term environmental and humanitarian ramifications.

Sustainability is literally a foreign concept. When you are a teenager, you think you are invincible! The world is your oyster, you've got your whole life ahead of you. Why do you need to save money? Why can't you drink Coke all day? What's wrong with maxing out my American Express with wild shopping sprees? In the short term, it's all fun and games. However, it catches up one day.  Fast forward  25 years, China may find itself a bankrupt obese diabetic with lots of material things but nothing to show for it, whose denizens have been socialized to live beyond their means.  (Not unlike the USA! I'm just sayin'!)

China needs to get real about its impending housing bubble. Why? Because it is merely a function of a larger societal problem: long term economic un-sustainability.  Somebody please cap their allowance & give them a curfew!

What do you think about China's stratospheric economic rise? Are they just spoiled brats headed for a bubble burst? Or are they savvy adults with solid long term plans?

I was showing this $936,400 foreclosure to my clients. Coveted location, built in 1937, hardwood floors, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, all seemed honky dory...until we peered into the backyard and gasped in unison!

Is it me, or does this remind you of a lynching apparatus?! Yikes!  I'm sure it's nothing that sinister but it's odd how the same thought flashed through our minds!  If it were my listing, I would have had it removed before hitting the market. Who wants buyers imagining what (or who) dangled on that thing!?

My latest video response for a viewer from MTV Networks LOGO's 365Gay site:

QUESTION: Should I sell my apartment to a friend?
ANSWER: Only if you can afford to lose your friendship!

Have you ever sold/bought a house from a friend? If so, how did you get through the awkward moments, like negotiations, repairs, pricing etc?  Like,  your friend sends you a $5,000 termite repair bill, which you swallow for the sake of your friendship. (I mean, she DID let you copy of her homework in 7th grade,  so according to her, you owe her for life!).

Can business &  pleasure really mix?  Spill your guts. Don't hold back :-)

One of the largest Chinese newspapers called World Journal profiled your favorite Asian Dumpling yesterday.  Anyone care to translate? Ummm, didn't think so....

In a nutshell, it says I'm a  model turned real estate maven, who transformed into a famous speaker and  a popular social media guy with over 20,000 followers. The article also explains why I think it's an effective and affordable way  to procure business.  Unfortch, they printed my age! Ai-yah!

My grandparents are going to get a kick out of this. They are pretty unaware of what I do. As long as I take them to dim sum, they are happy as clams.

My next goal will be the French Press. Le Monde, peut-etre? Paris Match...ou Voici!? On verra, n'est-ce pas?

The Design File featured my posting on How to Warm Up a Stark Black & White Space!  Hooray!

"I’m pleased today to have a guest post from Herman Chan, a sort of celebrity real estate agent who writes Habitat for Hermanity. “It’s real estate with a punchline,” the site says.

Today, though, I’m featuring a post from Herman that’s more about high style than it is hilarity. He’s got some great ideas – and great photos – for warming up a stark décor."

Read more here.

Need some extra gas money? Sell a home!
Being a realtor is as easy as 1-2-3! Just troll Craigslist for cheapo clients, put your name & license on the line, slave away, do ALL the work, and get paid pennies. There’s nothing to it!
Wut-evah!
Hilarity aside, this is an actual ad I pulled from Craigslist. So this is what its come to, eh? Our services, our knowledge, our expertise boils down to a measly 500 clams.  AG Beat writes more about this here. Have you ever sourced a Craigslist client and lived to regret it? Or post some success stories! I wanna hear...and please tell me you were paid more than $500! :-)

Here's my  follow-up video to last weeks blog post with Bret Cota, decor designer & owner of Exalt Agency, who decked out this loft with his trademark touch. Find out how he got a leather Gucci furniture piece for $100, why he spends the most money on magazines, and what his dream project would be!

What do you think of his work?

I am utterly floored by what my friend Bret Cota did to this live/work loft! This is a perfect example of how a space that serves multiple purposes can be seamlessly unified by great design.  Bret operates EXALT Modeling & Talent Agency out of this live/work loft, but you would never guess it. Part office, part art installation, part photo studio, part condo, the tasteful black & white aesthetic holds the decor together.  No distinction between office space, living space or art space exists. Just goes to show that when you have a strong design theme that is well executed throughout, anything is possible in a space!

Also, because the steel and concrete in lofts can appear cold, Bret uses plants, wood  & animal print which add a level of warmth to what would otherwise be a sterile space.  And the stark contrast between black and white is diffused by touches of earth tones (beige, browns, gray), which soften the austere sleek b/w look.  Hope you enjoyed these  wonderful design tips! I can't wait to feature his next project!

Thank you Billy Winters for taking these brilliant photos.

All photos by Billy Winters