12/13/2009

CARLA BRUNI SARKOZY’S ITALIAN CHILDHOOD HOME UP FOR SALE





 

Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, listed by Forbes Magazine as one of the world’s wealthiest men, is now fiipping the Castello di Castagneto Po in the hills northeast of Turin. The wife of French head-of-state Nicolas Sarkozy spent her early childhood living in the property but the family relocated to Paris in the early 1970’s as The Red Brigade Marxist guerrilla group stuck fear among Italy’s elite and sent death threats.  The family sold it to the Prince earlier this year.

The castle is 21,000 sq ft, has 40 rooms that  the family extensively restored and lavishly appointed in 1952.   There are 185 acres with vegetable gardens, orchids, flowering terraces, ancient greenhouses, a caretaker’s house and barn.  The castle was destroyed in 1705 in warfare, and rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in 1835.  The imposing façade brings up images of fairy tale princesses. The property was sold for about $30.96MM, purchased for about $27.5MM by the  Prince.  Bruni-Sarkozy’s industrialist father, Alberto Bruni Tedeschi, paid less than one million British pounds in 1952. 

12/12/2009

MIZNER-DESIGNED LA BELLUCIA SALE MAKES 2009 RECORD

 

 



Listed for $27.5MM, this beautiful storied mansion in Palm Beach was the county’s largest sale on record in 2009.  The home was built in 1920 and named by owner, a physician and capitalist, Willey J. Kingsley, for his wife, Lucy, who founded the Garden Club of Palm Beach 

The mansion was owned later by Ailsa Mellon Bruce, termed in the 1950’s Forbes magazine as the richest woman in the United States. Then it sat on an isolated stretch of beach. The house is now subject to code enforcement actions by the Landmarks Preservation Commissioners. There are 9 bedrooms in the 12,000 sq ft estate on 3.8 acres and sits on a ridge with 234 feet of oceanfront land. The property is located at 1200 South Ocean Boulevard.

The new owner, now a real estate mogul, once waited tables at The Breakers to earn money for college.  The Mizner mansion was formerly owned by NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer.  Glazer owns another home on South Ocean Boulevard, and had planned to remodel this property, but instead decided to sell. 

There are 10,000 full-time residents and an additional 20,000 in town during peak season which is November through April.  The highest price ever paid for a private residence in America went to Ronald O. Perelman in 2009 for $70MM for his oceanfront mansion.

12/05/2009

1820 TEN ROOM HOUSE FOR SALE ON NANTUCKET




Only a half mile to the beach, this charming Colonial home has 3 fireplaces, 5 bedrooms, 4 ½ baths.  Floors are wood.  There is a patio porch and garden and one car garage.  Acreage is .12.  Featured are the original wide pine flooring, and interior doors.  With a side yard and backyard, brick driveway and detached garage, this is a simply charming historic home on Main Street.  List price is $2,150,000.

12/02/2009

HISTORICAL ST. PETERSBURG FL MANSION FOR SALE FOR $18MM





This 1920’s style mansion is on Snell Isle with a fabulous panoramic view of Tampa Bay.  Currently appraised by Pinellas County Appraiser’s office for $4.62MM, purchase price in 2006 was $5.1MM.  New upgrades have increased the price, including central air and heating in 10,000+ sq ft of living space (there was none before), replacement of a 600’ seawall, addition of a 75’ long heated pool, and installation of docks to accommodate additional yachts. 

The structure was returned to it’s original condition by master craftsmen.  They found fireplaces, beams, archways and ceiling paintings previously concealed from view by drywall and paint.  New fixtures and amenities were installed, some coming from castles in Europe.  Seawall balustrades were duplicated on the balconies.   

If you are looking in this price range, this property is a “must-see”!