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Another sign of real estate drama, a house up for sealed bid auction in posh Greenwich, Connecticut of all places. The owner, Stanley Cheslock, originally put the market on the home for $31 million in the usual manner but found that the current market was a bit stagnant.

The HIllcrest Estate features 26,000-square-foot mansion designed by Gilles Le Gorrec and built in 2003 as well as two carriage houses and 12-car capacity garage on 30 acres. The home has four master suites, guest suite and a service suite. There is a large kitchen that includes a wood-burning pizza oven, top-of-the-line appliances, separate accessories kitchen and a butler's pantry with walk-in refrigeration. The massive home has not one but two cathedral-ceiling living rooms that both open onto a 2,500-sq. ft. terrace. Other details include a 100-ft. central atrium, rooftop cupola with stunning Long Island Sound views, hand-crafted stained glass windows, iron-clad elevator, seven Rumsford fireplaces, multiple laundries, handmade plaster moldings, chestnut flooring and geo-thermal heating and cooling. There is also a theatre-quality home cinema, 3,700 bottle-capacity wine room, cherry wood office/library, 50-ft. indoor lap pool with Siberian spruce sauna and granite steam room, and a fully equipped private gym. The expansive grounds adjoin The Stanwich Club, one of United States' premier golf courses, and include a large mouth bass pond, waterfalls, English gardens, and statuary by sculptor Arturo Di Modica.

The estate may be purchased in whole or in part, with the mansion and 22 acres available for a minimum reserve price beginning at $15 million. The two carriage houses and more than seven acres are available for a minimum reserve price beginning at $4 million. And of course the whole package starts at $19 million. Sealed bids must be submitted by 5 p.m. Aug. 15, along with a check for $750,000 and bank documents proving the potential buyer's ability to pay.

For more prime properties and lush locations, see Luxury Homes and Mansions.