by Roberta Murphy There may be lots of dismal news about the real estate economy, but there is still lots of interest in the luxury home market–and curiosity about the most expensive zip codes for median home prices. Ever on top of these things, Forbes.com has compiled a list of the top 500 zip codes in the country and which certainly reach beyond the dominating states of California and New…
by Roberta Murphy Bernie Madoff is headed for several lifetimes in prison–and which leads us to wonder: Where are the cushiest prisons? And wouldn’t you know, Forbes.com provides a timely list of the top-rated federal prisons. They looked for such amenities as email, proximity to major airports, weather and internal substance-abuse programs, a sentence-reducing ploy used by non-addicted white collar criminals. Other qualifiers for the luxury prison list include pleasant guards,…
by Roberta Murphy Good Bargaining Tips for the Luxury Home Buyer If this is the worst real estate market (for sellers) in recent history, then surely it creates some of the best luxury bargains of a lifetime as well. We are seeing smart money aggressively buying in our San Diego real estate market, and hear reports of the same elsewhere. The properties are being bought as fix-and-flippers or are being…
by Roberta Murphy What kinds of rooms might go into a luxury home? The possibilities are as varied as lifestyles. I recall a luxurious mansion in Houston’s lovely River Oaks that had, in addition to every other conceivable room, a luggage room. It was a sensible space that accommodated the traveling owner’s large collection of leather suitcases, trunks and garment bags. When a trip was planned, the butler would retrieve…
by Roberta Murphy In our coastal San Diego luxury real estate market, buyers are almost manic about their closets–and especially the ones in the master suite. Luxury home buyers are most pleased when there are separate closets for each–or if single, closets for the seasons. The compleat closet in the luxury home will be spacious, well lighted and masterfully organized. It is a room where we prepare ourselves to meet…
by Roberta Murphy Speaking of gossip. Legendary Kirk Kerkorian has just cut the $25 million asking price of his 30 acre Beverly Hills mansion to a reasonable $18 million, after it has languished on the market for nearly a year. His lovely gated estate boasts a Mediterranean-styled main home, two guest cottages, two pools, two tennis courts, a putting green and lots of room for expansion. The Wall Street Journal…
by Roberta Murphy There is a class of homes that can only be called, for lack of a better word, the ultimate. These are the extreme and exceptional estates that are among the most expensive in the world. To call them luxury homes is an understatement. These properties have singular presence and price tags that now exceed nine figures. This year, all barriers were broken. Donald Trump’s lavish seven-acre estate…
by Roberta Murphy Buyers have gone through this golf and ocean-view Encinitas Ranch home, and jokingly asked if the the red hot Ferrari in the garage might come with the purchase. Well, as of this afternoon, it does! A free Ferrari goes to the lucky buyer. The owners of both the home and the car are ready to move and had already reduced the price of their singular property, when…
by Roberta Murphy It is a tough task in relativity to define a luxury home. One’s perspective has as much to do with the definition as does the opulence, location or architectural significance of a particular property. One man’s simple home is another man’s castle, and vice versa. Perhaps it is easier to consider what a luxury home is not. It is not a cookie cutter home in…
