Even billionaires are feeling the Real Estate crunch. Many of the 9 figure homes that previously made Forbe’s World’s Most Expensive Homes list have been reduced in price and have fallen off the list or have been removed from the market. I have yet to see a $100 millon short sale…but then again…the real estate crunch is not over. Last year, a 40-acre Greenwich, Conn., property with a 21,897-square-foot, 14-bedroom Jacobean manor was listed for $125 million. It was the world’s second most expensive home for sale. It now sports a $60 million price tag and falls just short of making Forbe’s 2009 list.
Many of the sellers in this exclusive list of homes are resorting to measures such as price cuts of 20% and higher to move their homes. Last year, investor Marty Zweig pulled the $70 million Pierre Hotel penthouse off the market after it was listed for four years. Financier Leonard Ross, who had asked $165 million for the Hearst Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif., de-listed it in September 2008. A few months later, Prince Bandar of Saudi Arabia removed his $135 million Aspen ski lodge from the ranks of available listings. This year, “Hillendale,” in Stamford, Conn., fell victim to the depressed housing market. It was listed for $95 million. It’s no longer for sale.
Although many of us are not in the market for a 9 figure home…it does make for some interesting reading to see these amazing mansions. I always wonder if I found myself being Uber-wealthy…I most likely would not want nor know what to do with a 56,000 square foot home…but then again I am not uber-wealthy.
Here is the list of the Top 6 of Forbe’s Worlds Most Expensive Homes
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- $150 Million The Manor Aaron and Candy Spelling’s House. 56,500 square feet, 123 rooms on 6 acres. Most expensive home in the world.
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- $125 million Fleur De Lys Los Angeles, Calif. Suzanne Saperstein’s Beverly Hills estate is modeled after Louis XIV’s palace at Versailles. The 45,000-square-foot home took five years to build.
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- $117 million Updown Court Windlesham, Surrey. Larger than both Buckingham or Hampton Court palace. 103-room home has 58 acres of gardens and woodlands. Several ballrooms, a panic room, an indoor squash court, bowling alley, 50-seat cinema, helipads, space for eight limousines and a heated marble driveway.
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- $100 million Tranquility Lake Tahoe, Nev. Conveniently on the tax-free Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, this 210-acre property–Tranquility–is owned by Joel Horowitz, the co-founder of Tommy Hilfiger. The main house has 20,000 square feet of living space, is modeled after a northern European mountain home and has a 3,500-bottle wine cellar. An indoor swimming pool and atrium, as well as a 19-seat movie theater.
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- $100 million Albemarle House: Charlottesville, Va. Situated on 300 acres, and neighboring Monticello and Ash Lawn-Highland, the eight-bedroom Georgian home was designed by architect/designer David Easton. Also on the property: a barn, three-car garage and guest house.
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- $68 million BootJack Ranch Pagosa Springs, Colo. 3,100 acres, main house is 13,800 square feet and has four bedrooms and four bathrooms. Outlying guest cabins and lodges can host up to 50 people and bring the total interior space up to 77,000 square feet. Includes a 12,000-square-foot spa and aquatic center.
The BootJack Ranch in Colorado sold in April 2010 for $47million! A huge price reduction from the $68mil price tag.
Also, Le Belvedere, a sprawling sandstone palace in Bel Air, which sold on June 4 to an unidentified European family, for as much as $72 million.
The home was designed and built by developer Mohamed Hadid, former owner of Ritz Carlton Hotels, for his personal use. Hadid put the home on the market in early 2009 at $85 million, but the price was quickly cut to $72 million.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/06/18/most-expensive-le-belvedere-lifestyle-real-estate-mansion.html