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Estate of the Day

Today's home in Newport, Rhode Island is a grand home on prestigious Ledge Road. The home takes its inspiration from the Stanford White Rosecliff Mansion. The home is on nearly an acre of grounds including stone terraces and a pool with spa. The homes arched doorways, columns, and balustraded roofline pay homage to its Bellevue Avenue inspiration.

The focal point of the home is a great room full of natural light with high ceilings, marble floors, a marble and gilt fireplace and a dramatic sweeping staircase. The open kitchen has marble columns, twin chandeliers, high-end appliances, and an antique, marble-topped island. Upstairs the master bedroom has hardwood floors, separate lounging and sleeping areas and a white marble fireplace. The onyx bath has dual vanities, a dual head shower, and a soaking tub. A balcony sitting area and an additional bedroom with marble bath complete the upper level. This home is listed at $3.95 million with Lila Delman.

Estate of the Day

Today's home is one of the priciest on the market in the Boston area. This French-style, three-story brick residence in Brookline, Massachusetts was designed and built between 1929 and 1930 by renowned Boston architect William T. Aldrich. The main home is on over three acres with manicured lawns, flower beds, shrubs and mature deciduous and coniferous trees.

The home has 20 principal rooms in the main house and there is also a separate one-bedroom guest house. The home has been thoroughly renovated to combine its original, formal style with modern amenities. The most unique feature in this home might be the light-filled indoor pool pavilion which is reached via an underground passageway that also serves as an art gallery. The pavilion offers additional entertaining area and a caterer's kitchen. Overall there are a total of 10 fireplaces, hardwood floors, hand-painted murals and other finishes, and ornate moldings. This home is listed at $15.75 million with LandVest.

Estate of the Day

Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, owner of the eye-popping $300 million megayacht 'A' (above) designed by Philippe Starck, has splashed out $12.2 million on a penthouse pied-à-terre in Central Park. It's the first New York property for Melnichenko, at 38 one of the world's youngest billionaires, and his model wife Aleksandra, the Wall St. Journal reports, added to a real estate portfolio that includes apartments and estates in Moscow, France and the U.K. The 2,800-sq.-ft., two-bedroom duplex has two balconies, a terrace facing Central Park, and an entrance gallery with 24-foot ceilings. As we reported back in January Melnichenko, who amassed a $4.4 billion fortune in fertilizer and banking, entertained Martha Stewart, Demi Moore and Aston Kutcher on his yacht in St. Barth's over New Year's during Roman Abramovich's bash.

Estate of the Day

Today's estate takes us back to the incredibly scenic town of Carmel California. We looked at a home very close to this one in December in the Carmel Highlands area which is between Carmel-by-the-Sea and Big Sur. This area boasts some of the country's priciest real estate. Today's home, a stone manor house on 4.25 acres, dates back to 1921. The area's famous Cypress trees surround the home which is set high on a hill overlooking the water. The home has beamed ceilings, large fireplaces, hardwood floors and wide windows with white water and Point Lobos views. One nice detail is the stone porch with glass windows and a wood stove for chilly evenings. A separate guest house is tucked away from the main house. This home is listed at $9.95 million with Mike Canning. Check out the property website for additional pictures.

Estate of the Day

If you're thinking of buying a villa in the south of France, one that is beyond beautiful, where you could conceivably live year round, send your kids to good schools, and still be about a half hour (22k) from the airport, one of the properties offered for sale by Estate Net France SARL might fill the bill.
This real estate company specializes in upscale properties on the French Riviera. Their properties are not just in Cannes, but also St. Tropez, Grasses, and Mougins. In fact, they cover the waterfront from Monaco to the northeast to Frejus and St. Raphael in the south.

The villa in Cannes has six bedrooms each with its own bath, a pool and poolhouse, Jacuzzi, massage room, hammam, gym and three- car garage. It has been recently renovated in a contemporary style. Even the garden and terrace have been redone. For staff, there's an independent "guardian's" apartment. The price is €18,000,000. The company only deals in sales, not rentals, which are fully described on its website www.estatenetfrance.com. For details, you may want to call the company's office in Mougins at 33-(0) 497 793 220.

Estate of the Day

Today's Chicago home combines the best of the city that was with the city that is. The six-bedroom home in the Gold Coast area was built in 1877. The home's exterior has been substantially re-built including a new facade, front steps and 2-car garage. The interior has been meticulously renovated including kitchens, baths, windows and mechanical system. The design makes the most of natural light and modern decor but keeps charming older details such as a handsome mahogany-paneled living room, plaster moldings and an original staircase. The eat-in kitchen has a butler's pantry and the luxurious master suite has a marble bath. There are three or four additional upstairs bedrooms with newer baths, and a bright lower level with a family room with built-ins and another bedroom and bath.This home is listed at $4.95 million.

Estate of the Day

Today's home was built in 1913 and commands an enviable view Narragansett Bay. Located in the Nayatt Point area of Barrington, Rhode Island, today's home has the gorgeous lines of another era. The entrance to the 3.64-acre estate is highlighted by antique cast iron gates with a circular drive leading to a porte-cochere entry. A simply graceful foyer includes a grand staircase with triple twisted balusters and paneled risers. All the old-fashioned details are in place including hand carved fireplaces, stained glass, built-in china cabinets and six paneled pocket doors. The breakfast loggia offers a sunny place to take your coffee with windows opening out onto bay views. Marble pillars frame the expansive brick terrace that lead to the sloping lawn and private beach. There are eight bedrooms and all principal bedrooms boast water views. The second floor master suite has his and hers baths/dressing rooms with stunning water views. The expansive slate roof was replaced in 2006. This home is listed at $6.295 million.

Estate of the Day

A home in Park City, Utah which was once listed at $24 million will try its luck at auction next week. The last asking price for this home on 56 acres was $21.5 million but it will likely go for far less than that. The 6,800-square-foot home has four bedrooms and is right off of the Payday run on Park City Mountain Resort. It has never been lived in.

The kitchen has four dishwashers and multiple Sub-Zero refrigerators. All of the walkways and driveways are heated. A report on local station Fox 13 says that this home was originally supposed to be a guest house for a much larger home. It went into Chapter 11 and then Chapter 7 and is now being sold through a court-ordered U.S. bankruptcy auction. It is being sold with all of its furniture.

The auction takes place on January 25 at the home. A $100,000 cashier's check is required to bid. It is predicted that the home could sell in the $10 to $15 million range. More info is available at the auction website.

Estate of the Day

Newsday's Rich Cribs column led me to today's property, a home for sale in Old Westbury, New York. The home was built in 2003 but the land was originally part of the Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney estate and the home itself reflects an earlier era. Features include high ceilings with thick molding and handpainted murals of scenic landscapes in the dining room. Flowered wallpaper, chintz, antique rugs and botanical prints on the walls also help give this new home a more classic feel. The seven-bedroom home is on 3.9 acres and backs up to the Old Westbury Country Club golf course. The gardens have an enclosed hot tub, pergola, fountainwall and outdoor kitchen. The home also includes a fully built out lower level which currently looks to be in use as a rehearsal space for musicians. This home is listed at $5.5 million.

Estate of the Day

Today's home in Dallas, Texas is one that we first heard about in 2007 when it was listed at $17.5 million but it has since had a deep discount. The home belongs to Phil Romano, a restaurateur who is behind several restaurant chains including Romano's Macaroni Grill. This eight bedroom home is on 4.69 acres.

In 2007 the Real Estalker reported that Romano purchased the 4.7 acre property in 2000 for $4,535,300. The home was built in 2001 and is one of the most riotously colorful luxury homes around. The bold style combines Italian, modern and Southwestern styles with plenty of art and custom decor. There is a large living room with a paneled grid ceiling and a large limestone fireplace. The den offers sweeping views of the grounds and an adjacent library has floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. The sun room with expansive walls of windows is connected to the main living areas by two galleries for art, all with hand painted wood ceilings. The formal dining room is barrel-vaulted with a tile ceiling and a view through glass walls to the wine room which is the size of a small retail store. The kitchen features commercial-grade appliances such as banks of Traulsen refrigerators and freezers, and a Vulcan oven and stove, combine with stainless steel cabinets, long stretches of stainless counters, and a massive walk-in pantry. A climate-controlled pavilion gives four different views of the grounds.

All the bedrooms are on the second floor of the home. The master wing has two bedrooms, den and exercise room. Most amazing is the two-story barrel vaulted master closet. This wing also has a family room with a hand-painted ceiling. The second bedroom, designed for a child has a loft space and vaulted ceiling. There are four guestrooms plus two additional bedrooms in the connected apartment, each with its own private bath. The apartment has a kitchen, sitting room and a third floor bonus room which is divided from the main bedrooms by an office and oversized art studio. The grounds have a private lake with fountains, waterfalls, tennis courts and a glass-tiled pool. This property is now listed at $12.5 million.

Estate of the Day

Our friend Kenny at Homes of the Rich alerted us to the fact that Le Reve, a massive estate in Cumming, Georgia, that was our estate of the day back in 2008 is now listed as bank-owned and under foreclosure. La Reve was the home of Hubert and Norma Humphrey who designed their lavish home with a private bowling alley, its own golf course, a massage room and a huge movie theater that is a replica of Atlanta's Fox Theatre. There is also a train room that is a replica of the old Central Georgia Railroad from Atlanta to Macon to Savannah that Hubert Humphrey worked on for 17 years as a train conductor. This incredible edifice has 82 rooms, two elevators and 62 televisions. The grounds include a heated swimming pool, pool house, spa, private playground, stables, tennis court, formal gardens and a guest house. The home, which is approximately 47,000 square feet on 90 acres was listed at a stunning $45 million in 2008. In January 2010 we saw that price carved down to $28 million.Now it can be picked up for $18 million.

Estate of the Day

Bernie Madoff's Palm Beach, Florida home finally sold last year but now another Madoff-associated home, the one belonging to his sister-in-law Marion, has hit the market for $6.5 million. The Wall Street Journal reports that her husband, Peter was the former chief compliance officer at his brother's firm.

The five-bedroom home is on .5 acre and is located in the estate section of Palm Beach, within close proximity to the ocean and Worth Avenue shopping. it has a pool, gardens and fountains. The well-decorated interior space includes a master suite with dual baths that overlooks the formal gardens. The WSJ reports that Peter and Marion Madoff bought the home in 2001 for $3.8 million and ownership was transferred solely to Marion Madoff in 2006. It is listed for $6.5 million with Carole and Brett Koeppel of Sotheby's International Realty.

Estate of the Day

Today's home has a super motivated seller. This mountain top retreat in Cave Creek, Arizona has been reduced $6 million since being listed. The property offers nearly 75 acres of desert with a forest of saguaro cacti. 

The six-bedroom home has been featured by the Wall St. Journal, Arizona Republic, Fox 10 and NBC in Phoenix. It has more than 10,000 square feet of space with 150-year-old oak flooring taken from a Midwest warehouse in the great room. The home takes inspiration both from Tuscan style as well as local adobe. There are lots of skylights including one that lights up the kitchen. The master suite that straddles the top of the mountain for sunrise and sunset views. Other rooms include a wine room, media room and game room. An elevator connects the floors. Outside there is a pool complex and an outdoor kitchen perched up on the hillside. This home is listed at $9.9 million. 

Estate of the Day

When not serving as a hideout for much-maligned Wikileaks frontman Julian Assange, stately Ellingham Hall (above) in the UK's bucolic Norfolk is available for sportsmen to hunt gamebirds in a classic English country house setting. The 10-bedroom Georgian mansion sited on 650 acres has been a prime shooting ground for four generations of the aristocratic Smith family's ownership. The Ellingham estate offers shooting days in season of between 150 – 200 birds at about $40 per bird, or about $6,000 – $8,000 per day. "Whether you like snap shooting over tall trees, partridges bursting over hedges, or high pheasants flying back to woods, we have something to please all," the estate's listing on the Guns on Pegs site notes. "We work very hard to deliver a smoothly-run but relaxed and friendly shoot. The shoot makes a very good day for eight guns but nine can be accommodated for teams." Ellingham provides refreshments and lunch, and participants are encouraged to bring their own Purdeys and Range Rovers; shooting at Assange is strictly prohibited. 

Estate of the Day

Today's home is a little bit trapped in its decade of origin. This 1980s contemporary on 4.68 acres in Ann Arbor, Michigan has a boardwalk path to 369' of Huron River frontage. The angular home was designed to showcase its views and has multiple decks and patios. The five-bedroom homes most striking feature is its indoor pool area. It has windows, skylights and lots of natural woodwork. While the kitchen has been updated with new appliances and granite countertops, it looks like other rooms are still back in the 1980s. The home is surrounded by landscaping by award-winning gardener John Cullen of Celtic Gardens. This home is listed at $2.95 million.

Estate of the Day

Estate of the Day

There's no denying it's been a tough couple of years for luxury real estate but how have our estate of the day properties fared this year? I decided to break it down, month by month to see what is still on the market. Today we are looking at June which saw one of the year's most expensive properties, Colorado's Flying Dog Ranch which is now also one of the year's biggest price drops. Once listed at $56 million, it now sits at $46.2 million. One property that didn't have a price cut is the Frick Estate in Alpine, New Jersey which is still at $68 million. The elaborate Villa Collina in Knoxville, Tennessee also had a huge price cut, from $21 million to $12.5 million. More after the jump.

Estate of the Day

Today's home in Pensacola, Florida is all about the view. The waterfront home is perched on the Scenic Highway bluffs with views over Escambia Bay. A new 350-foot dock and a large 42'x42' boathouse offer room for your aquatic toys. The dock boasts 4' deep water year around. The home has two very large balconies giving you views of marine life at play as pelicans, seagulls and occasional osprey dive and even the occasional dolphin can be spotted. The home has a great room with over 20' high ceilings, fireplace, gourmet kitchen with granite countertops and top of the line appliances, formaldining room, polished travertine floors and a balcony that stretches the entire width of the house.

The master suite includes a see-through fireplace, a custom designed master bathroom and closets, generous laundry and separate storage room plus a library/office or another bedroom with in suite bathroom overlooking the landscaped and very private front yard. Two more stories are reached through the interior staircase or via the commercial sized glass elevator where large windows reveal the Bay views as you travel between floors. The second level is taken up by a very large bedroom, huge sitting area and luxurious bathroom a private guest suite. The third story has another very large balcony running along the entire width of the home and two large bedrooms facing the bay with in-suite bathrooms. A second guest kitchen is easily accessed from both bedrooms; and that provides accesses to the gardens and multi-level decks with an outside hot tub and showers under the house.

Back on the ground floor there is a fenced in yard and another gated entrance and driveway to a large parking deck about 35 feet above sea level which is accessed via a private, paved road along the Bay. There is comprehensive hurricane and security protection at the touch of a switch and every window and door has roll down insulated hurricane shutters. This home is listed at $3.7 million.