http://www.luxist.com/2007/05/21/searles-castle-up-for-sale/ Luxist Comments for Searles Castle Up For Sale http://www.luxist.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.luxist.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.luxist.com/2007/05/21/searles-castle-up-for-sale/http://www.luxist.com/2007/05/21/searles-castle-up-for-sale/
Searles likely won't sell at that price as it would be double the highest price ever paid for a Berkshire property. The highest ever sold in the region was last month for the beautifully restored, Southmayd Farm on more land and in more fasionable Stockbridge for under $7M.

The retored (partially) grand "Elm Court" estate - perhaps the greatest of the Berkshire Cottages - has been on the market for years now, originally at $22M and now down to $14M still no takers. With that property you'd be the first non-Vanderbilt (heir) owner in its history.

This castle is nice, but a pure white elephant on 60-acres. You can buy a lot of interesting properties [both listed and "off the market"] in the Berkshires for less.]]>May 22nd 2007 6:18PMhttp://www.luxist.com/2007/05/21/searles-castle-up-for-sale/http://www.luxist.com/2007/05/21/searles-castle-up-for-sale/May 30th 2007 11:03PMhttp://www.luxist.com/2007/05/21/searles-castle-up-for-sale/http://www.luxist.com/2007/05/21/searles-castle-up-for-sale/
If Naumkeag, the grand Stanford White-designed house which I visit at least twice a year, was ever to be sold out of the Trustees of Reservations you'd see me shacked to the front door to prevent it. Never will it be sold back to private use. The same would go for Edith Wharton's home, et al.

As for privately held homes, you could hit in the 'teens' and maybe break $20M if ever High Lawn was placed on the market. Likewise for Blantyre although in both cased the price likely would reflect an interest to make (or retain in the latter example) them as commerical resorts.

I just don't see private homes - yet - fetching north of $10M in the Berkshires no matter how much culture, seasonal affluence, and relative easy to get to Boston or NYC. Spring Lawn didn't, the former DeSisto School mansion didn't, nor did the mansion of the late water engineer Milos Krofta now the "Lenox Athenaeum". All lovely estates needing restoration [as Searles would too] but none over $5M.]]>Jun 18th 2007 9:41AM