ArnoldSchwarzenegger

Brent Black, renowned authority and preeminent purveyor of handwoven straw hats, is now offering the world's finest Montecristi Panama for $100,000. Known simply as "The Hat", Black calls the exquisite creation the most finely woven Montecristi Panama the world has ever known. Authentic Montecristi Panamas, the world's greatest, are made from extremely fine toquilla straw and woven only in Ecuador; a handful of master weavers produce the best of the best, which sell for tens of thousands of dollars apiece. The Hat was commissioned by Black from the king of the master weavers - Black calls him the best weaver in history - Simón Espinal, who lives in the village of Píle in Montecristi Canton. It took him five full months to complete.

After Espinal completed the weaving, five other artisans spent several more weeks preparing and finishing The Hat. An incredible amount of handwork goes into Montecristis; hence the price. You can see some of it in the gallery and a more detailed exposition here. The Hat has not been blocked into a style or sized yet, and is awaiting the purchaser's final instructions. Black offers dozens of different styles and bespoke finishes, some based on vintage patterns such as the dashing Optimo design, above. The Hat is so incredibly fine it weighs less than one ounce. "It is as thin as my stationery," Black tells The Classicist. "When I handle The Hat, I do not worry that it might fall to the floor if I drop it; I worry that it might float away."

While Espinal could theoretically create another one equal to The Hat's fineness, it's not a given that he could replicate the feat. "I have been obsessed with the very finest hats for more than 20 years," Black notes. "I have researched the finest hats woven during the 20th century. There is simply no hat that is comparable to this one." At first Black says he did not want to part with The Hat. However, "if someone were serious enough to pay $100,000 I think I'd have to give it up," he concedes. "I represent the interests of the artist as a gallery does. Simón would be pleased for me to sell it." If that's out of your range, don't worry - Black's best hats, other than this unique work of art, sell for $5,000 to $30,000. You can work your way up.

At the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress (SAE) in Detroit Utah-based Raser Technologies just unveiled its hybrid version of the Hummer H3 which they claim gets 100 miles to the gallon. The range-extended eco vehicle has an all-electric range of 40 miles with a hybrid 200 kW electric motor / 100 kW gasoline-powered engine. With a 90 mph top speed, off-road capability and a lithium ion-battery that's rechargeable in as little as three hours, the SUV maintains its acceleration, towing and off-road capacities. California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a longtime Hummer enthusiast, praised the vehicle during a visit to the exhibition.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made a surprise appearance at the Geneva Motor Show today, where he checked out a $230,000 Bentley Continental GTC Speed, the most powerful convertible the marque has ever produced. Accompanied by Bentley CEO Franz-Josef Paefgen, Schwarzenegger eyed all the Bentleys on display but seemed to prefer the GTC Speed, which he sat in and fondled lovingly, MotorTrend reports. The Governator also visited several other stands including Audi's during his whirlwind tour of the show. He has been in Europe this week attending the CeBIT 2009 in Hanover, Germany, billed as the world's largest technology trade fair for digital business solutions and information and communications technology. California is the first U.S. state to partner with CeBIT.

From the NY Post's Gimme Shelter:
--Real-estate developer Rodney Propp, who was reported as the buyer of "Old Trees" estate in Southampton listed at $48 million, didn't take possession of the property. He switched his his executed sales contract to hedge-fund manager John Paulson for approximately $39 million. According to the Wall Street Journal's Private Properties, John Paulson has put his Southampton home on the market for $19.5 million. The listing for the home which has a year-round pool is here.
--Leonardo DiCaprio who last year picked up a penthouse apartment at the Hudson Blue condominium project in the West Village for just under $3 million is now reported to be buying a pad in an environmentally friendly building, The Riverhouse in Battery Park City. Hudson Blue developer Michael Yanko, the CEO of Horizen Global, will be selling the entire 12-story, 24-foot-wide building in one fell swoop. He says he has a buyer but has listed the building, shown above, for $21 million with Sotheby's as a back-up.
--Gisele Bundchen has just pulled her West Village penthouse apartment off the market. She isted the two-bedroom condo in September for $10.9 million and eventually dropped the price to $7.9 million but still found no takers.
--It looks like the co-op board members at the River House apartment building gave the thumbs down for Elyse Kroll as buyer for Marty Richard's splendid duplex residence. The "in contract" banner on the Brown Harris Stevens Web site has been replaced with the words "new listing." The old price remains, it is listed at $22.7 million.

From the NY Observer's Manhattan Transfers:
--A Tribeca home has become the most expensive listing in the neighborhood at $35 million. The house at 2 North Moore Street is pirced at $29,425,000 more than mortgage executive Steve Schnall and wife Sherri paid for the property just three years ago.The Schnalls built a new six-story building on the site, and connected it with a former bar, a two-story landmark building. The listing is here.
--Slim-Fast founder and philanthropist S. Daniel Abraham's family paid $13.3 million for two apartments at the East 65th Street condo tower Bristol Plaza (one came in April 2005, the other in April 2006), and sold them both off for just $14 million last month. Not much of an investment. The Abrahams' listing with Corcoran had been for $17.5 million.
-- Robert and Cortney Novogratz buy rundown houses and renovate them. Their latest listing, their house at 5 Centre Market Place, which they purchased in June 2004 for $1,512,000, and have now listed for $18 million. 5 Centre, a former gun shop, is a contemporary beauty with one cool feature, an outdoor basketball court encased in a steel mesh dome built in Switzerland. The listing is here.
Bono and his wife Ali Hewson have sold their Central Park West apartment at the El Dorado for $4.9 million. He first bought the place for $3.4 million, but left it five years ago for Steve Jobs' old apartment at the San Remo down the block.

From the Wall Street Journal's Private Properties:
--Italian businessman Luigi Zunino, who is in contract to buy an apartment at New York's Plaza condominium, is already trying to find someone to pay $100 million for it.
--Two months after listing it at $16.8 million, the owner of Meryl Streep's former New York City town house has dropped the price to $13.85 million. This makes more sense considering that the investor bought it last fall for $12.85 million. The listing is here.
--The Key Largo, Fla., home of the General Electric aviation executive Brian Rowe, who died in February at age 75, is on the market for $18.9 million. The listing is here.
--Disgraced art dealer Lawrence Salander is in negotiations to list his Millbrook, N.Y., second home for $6.2 million. Salander, once one of New York's most prestigious art-world figures, is now said to owe tens of millions of dollars for failing to pay clients for works he sold on consignment and other improprieties. He filed Chapter 11 in November. He has listed his six-story townhouse on Manhattan's Upper East Side for $25 million. Check out the listing here.

From Berg Properties Big Time Listings:
--It turns out that last week's report of Nicole Kidman buying in Brentwood was not true. She is still house hunting in Los Angeles.
--Musician, songwriter and producer Dr. Luke has paid $4,690,000 for a Spanish-style house in the Hollywood Hills.
--Country singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams has paid $1,512,500 for a home in the Studio City area.
--Country singer Kenny Chesney has paid $7,400,000 for house in Malibu back in February and just two days after it was reported by Big Time Listings, it was back on the market. It is listed at $7.95 million.
--Actress Jane Sibbett has cut the asking price of her 16.96-acre ranch in Los Angeles County's unincorporated Topanga area from $7 million to $5.2 million. It's our estate of the day later today.

From the LA Times Hot Property:
A fond farewell and best wishes to Ruth Ryon, the grand dame of Los Angeles real estate gossip who is retiring from the LA Times. She is the woman who made all this real estate obsession part of our daily life, we wish her many grand adventures and good luck on writing her book. A warm hello to Ann Brenoff who is taking over and who has already started working bringing in the L.A. real estate gossip all week long.
-- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, have bought a 25-acre tract of land in the Rancho Monte Alegre project in Santa Barbara County for around $4.7 million.
--Celebrity hair stylist Ken Paves has purchased a home in Beverly Hills for nearly $2 million.
--Former U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher and his wife Marie have purchased a two-bedroom condo in Century City. Christopher's charming farmhouse-style home in the Beverly Hills Post Office area is listed at $3,259,000. Check out the virtual tour here.
--Angelina Jolie's body double, Kate Clarke, has put her adorable two-bedroom bungalow in Silver Lake on the market for $724,000. The property website is here.
--Frankie Muniz joins the celebrity crowd at the turquoise Art Deco Eastern Columbia building. He has reserved a two-bedroom, 2,900-square-foot loft at close to $2.9 million. Other celeb buyers in the building include Johnny Depp and John Stamos.
--The listings for the Palm Springs homes of author Sidney Sheldon, one at $6.45 million, one at $3.995 million and one at $1.45 million now have a smattering of pictures. Check them out at the site of one of the three listing agents, Brook Astley, here.



From the Real Estalker:
--Matthew Perry has picked up a gorgeous three-bedroom contemporary-style house in the Hollywood Hills that had been on the market for $4,500,000.
--Boston Red Sox player Curt Schilling has listed his Medfield, Massachusetts home for $8 million.

Our protein-driven friend, Arnold, commissioned The Daniel Marshall Humidor company, based in California, to create a limited number of Governor Seal humidors for special gifts. The bronze medallion on the lid is covered in 24kt gold and has the California State Governor’s Seal. One of them will be going up for auction on Ebay soon, and profits will go to his After School All Stars charity founded in 1992.