Habitat For Hermanity
415.787.3450
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • About
  • Press
  • Testimonials
  • Speaking
    • Appearance / Speaking Fees
    • Better Homes & Garden Conference in Las Vegas
    • Mother Love Talk Show
    • NARdigras: National Association of Realtors Conference in New Orleans
    • California Association of Realtors Expo in Anaheim
    • Women's Council of Realtors
    • Talk Media Networks
    • theEGDE Las Vegas
    • South Hills Country Club
    • Asian Real Estate Association of America Sacramento
    • Lincoln Hills Golf Tournament
    • Rainstorm Conference for ActiveRain
    • Inman Real Estate Connect
  • Hocking Homes
  • Contact

Was $383M Remodel for San Francisco Airport Worth Every Penny!? Yes Ma'am!

6/29/2013

0 Comments

 
CNN counts down the best luxury airports in the world. And SFO makes the list twice!
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

A $383 million renovation in 2008 turned this airport (most notably, Terminal 2) into an all-in-one luxury destination for shoppers, foodies and art aficionados.Travelers, tourists and locals flock to the SFO Museum. Opened 1980, it was the first museum of its kind located in an international airport and it has only grown since then, having spread throughout all four terminals.

From modern photography to Pan-Asian ceramics, a rotating array of exhibitions is designed to intrigue a cross-section of visitors. For those with a tot in tow, there's also a children's museum, complete with art classes and even an aquarium (Terminal 1).

SFO Herman Chan's fav airport
san francisco airport & herman chan
I shot this last image from my Instagram! Follow me if you aren't yet! I'll rock your world!
SFO Shot by Herman Chan: www.instagram.com/herman
0 Comments

Out of the Closet, into the Living Room: Herman's Tale of Décor Upcycling for Frontiers Magazine! 

3/13/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Read my HILARIOUS article for Frontiers Magazine!  I've written a lot of articles for them, and I just love that they let me be me! 

Spring is around the corner, and you are itching to redecorate your place. Problem is, you’ve got a dead-end job, your sugar daddy just cut off your AMEX or you’re just plain cheap! Decorating ain't cheap. No problem. If you’re low on cash but want a home makeover, you do what any resourceful Millennial does—you upcycle!  
    
For those of you living under a rock, upcycling is turning something old into something new. Before you Restoration Hardware snobs start dissing me, I'll have you know that upcycling is the hottest design trend now. Not only does it save you money, but it is great for Mother Nature. We need to be mindful of the stuff we consume. We are such a wasteful society, living in a throwaway culture. How many times have you bought a sequened off-the-shoulder top you just had to have, but only wore the darn thing once—and it was for a 1980sFlashdance Halloween party. I know I have! What a waste of $50! Before you toss it out like yesterday's trash, try to upcycle it! It is uncanny how many old, tattered things you own that can be repurposed for some fantabulous new home décor pieces.
    
Here is what I did recently to update my living room via upcycling. I was getting sick of my drab sofa. It needed to pop. It would be too expensive to buy a new one. (And have you seen the cost of shipping and handling recently?!) So I decided on a more affordable way to revive my sofa—pillow accents! I went into the closet and reached deep in the back trenches where I store clothes I rarely wear. I shut my eyes, grabbed some random pieces, and out popped a tube top, mu'umu'u and a knit miniskirt. (Guess I never threw away my old drag outfits. I’m such a hoarder!)
    
Being flat-chested, the tube top was too small. Not enough fabric to make a pillow/cushion cover. The mu'umu'u was too big. (Although I might save it for a mattress cover upcycling project!) That left the mini-skirt. It was perfect! I stole an extra pillow insert I had lying around the guest room closet, found a yard of double-sided sticky-back Velcro in the kitchen junk drawer and twirled into the living room to start my project. It literally took me 10 minutes. I placed the Velcro on the front and back waistline of the skirt, flipped it inside out to hide the Velcro seams, stuffed the pillow insert into the skirt, then sealed up the front and back hem with Velcro. After transforming my mini-skirt into a pillow, I thought, “Damn, Herman, this is too cute for my busted-up sofa. I’m gonna sell it on Etsy! For real!”
    
The fabulous thing about this skirt-turned-pillow is that it’s Velcro’d. You don’t need to mess up your Lee Press-Ons with any sewing! You can assemble and disassemble easily. This is especially handy when you get a last-minute date and all your clothes are dirty. All you have to do is waltz into your living room, grab the pillow, rip off the Velcro and toss it on. It’s a skirt again! Sigh, the joys of upcycling! Bottom line: Don’t be so quick to trash your junk clothes. You can always make a cute décor piece to brighten up your home.
    
Drop by my place HabitatForHermanity.com and I'll show you how to upcycle your old jockstraps into a macramé plant holder!

Herman Chan is a real estate and design expert whose blog Habitat for Hermanity offers a glimpse beyond the glitz and glam of real estate and design. (And it ain’t always pretty!) You’ve seen his trademark helpful, hilarious flair on HGTV House Hunters, Logo and Huffington Post. His new webseries, Real Estate Real Simple for theSan Francisco Chronicle, debuted this year. He was also once a Frontiers cover model.
0 Comments

PROMO CLIP: Can You Spot Mr. Herman Chan on HGTV's Pilot 'Power Brokers'?

3/5/2013

5 Comments

 
I got my fabulous buyers a free renovation on a new HGTV show called Power Brokers. It stars Mike Aubrey (Real Estate Intervention) & Juan Barbieri (The Bachelorette). I have a small appearance too in the pilot, so stay tuned for more details! 
5 Comments

House Remodels Bust Up More Marriages Than You Think! 

6/2/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Oh no! The marriage between wrestler John Cena & his high school sweetheart is crumbling. TMZ reports "the house they were remodeling was sending them to the poor house and the courthouse." A contractor has now put a $110k lien on the property. Yikes!

Compromising on taste and balancing budgets, renovating a house can put any relationship to the test! Before you remodel with your boo, be sure you 2 are on the same page about design AND money! 

0 Comments

Modernizing Old Home is Hottest Trend, But Beware!

1/11/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
Check to see if your house is landmarked
Ever since the collapse of the market, McMansions have fallen out of style. Buyer tastes have veered towards old homes with character. Revamped Victorians, Edwardians, bungalows are hot! Sellers who  modernized their 100 yr old homes up to 2012 amenities and upgrades while maintaining the old world charm and architectural integrity command huge prices. 

However, before you start chopping up your old house, check with the city to make sure it is not designated as an historic landmark. Otherwise you may be violating historic preservation ordinances!  This family in Palo Alto ,CA is fighting the city to get their house (in photo) removed from the city history inventory. What is considered historic is up to debate. Apparently, this Council Member agrees with this family: "With all due respect to the Historic Resources Board, they're not composed of experts." Snap! 

1 Comment

Q&A: Money is tight. Can we build an in-law unit without permits?

8/17/2011

1 Comment

 

Tags: Gay Video & Lesbian Movies, Logo: Fierce TV

LogoTV viewer asks Hermanity:

Question: We want to build an in-law unit, but money is tight. Should we just use a handyman and bypass permits?
Answer: Handyman for dinky jobs is fine, but doing a major project without permits will come back to bite you. You can get sued, fined or be forced to tear it down. Plus, it can affect your re-sale value too. 

Did any viewers out there ever get in trouble for a big renovation without pulling permits? Would love to hear your story! 
1 Comment

Ghost Bile, Pimply Whiteheads, Exploded Styrofoam...aka Popcorn Ceiling!

7/12/2011

2 Comments

 
Can you believe popcorn ceiling once was the height of housing fashion?! Depending on how it was sprayed on, it always looked to me like either ghostly bile or wall of pimply whiteheads. Delish! I find it funny when I see a gorgeous crystal chandelier hanging from a ceiling of pigeon poo.  If a homeowner is going to spend thousands of dollars on fabulous lighting, why not give it a nice clean backdrop. It's like serving beluga caviar on a Styrofoam plate.

Anyone a fan of popcorn ceiling? LMK! (it's ok. you can post anonymously)

NOTE: Thank you for my friends at P6.com for shooting, editing & hosting this video. Check them out here!

Share
2 Comments

Remodel Real Estate for Resale Value

11/8/2010

2 Comments

 
A big joy of home ownership is 'making it your own.' But if you ever want to sell down the line, an overly self-indulgent remodel will hurt your revalue value. Save your vanity projects for your plastic surgery!
Share
2 Comments

You can remodel your house, but you cant remodel the block

5/22/2010

0 Comments

 
You're not just buying the house, you're buying to the neighborhood!
Share
0 Comments

Herman on HGTV again

5/10/2010

0 Comments

 
Here I am with Kendra Todd (winner of Celebrity Apprentice) assessing a $1.2M property on "My House is Worth What?"
Share
0 Comments
    Picture

    As Seen On

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    February 2016
    January 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010

    Categories

    All
    365gay
    365 Gay
    Advertising
    Advice
    Agent Genius
    Apartments
    Apppraisal
    Appraisal
    Apt2b
    Architecture
    Areaa
    Areas
    Asian
    Bad Realtor
    Banks
    Billy Winters
    Book
    Bullying
    Business Card
    Buyers
    Buying
    Cancer
    Cartoon
    Cash Offers
    Castings
    Celebrity
    China
    Closing Gifts
    Colors
    Commission
    Condo
    Contest
    Cookies
    Crime
    Curb Appeal
    Curbed
    Dating
    Debbie Gibson
    Decor
    Design
    Diet
    Disclosure
    Dot429
    Downelink
    Eco
    Ehow
    Ethics
    Events
    Fashion
    Fat
    Financing
    Food
    Foreclosure
    Foreclosures
    Foyer
    Friend
    Fsbo
    Funny
    Furniture
    Garages
    Gay Parent
    Ghetto
    Green
    Hgtv
    Hoa
    Hocking Homes
    Holiday
    Hostels
    Hosting
    Hotels
    House Hunters
    How To
    Huffington Post
    Huh
    Huhdafad37f6d
    Humor
    Humour
    Infographic
    Inspection
    Instinct
    Interview
    Interviews
    Investment
    Ipad
    Kara Swisher
    Klout
    Kodak
    Lighting
    Listing
    Listings
    Litigation
    Loans
    Logo
    Luxury
    Marketing
    Mcmansions
    Mls
    Money Magazine
    Mtv
    My House Is Worth What
    Nar
    Neighborhoods
    Newnownext
    News
    Nimby
    Open House
    Paint
    Pets
    Photographer
    Photos
    Porn
    Prefab
    Press
    Press Celebrity
    Qa438751ea22
    Qacd92bcee57
    Radio
    Rant
    Rants
    Realtor Magazine
    Remodel
    Remodeling
    Renting
    Re Sale Value
    Resale Value1f569878c8
    Safety
    Saks 5th Ave
    San Francisco
    Say It 2 My Face
    Selling
    Sf
    Sf Bay
    Sf Chronicle
    Shortsales
    Shout Out
    Show
    Showings
    Small Living
    Small Living
    Small Space
    Small Space
    Social Media
    Sold Magazine
    Speaking
    Sports
    Staging
    Stalking
    Tech
    Tips
    Top Agent Magazine
    Trends
    Trulia
    Tv
    Unique Homes Magazine
    Upcycle
    Videoblogging
    Videos
    Wealth Magazine
    Weird
    Yahoo Finance
    Zillow

    Blogroll

    Real Estalker
    AG Beat
    Curbed
    SFist
    LAist
    Luxist
    Apartment Therapy
    HGTV
    Lovely Listing
    Houzz


    Find us on Google+
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.