Fort Lauderdale

Trump Pulls His Name Off Fort Lauderdale Project

Earlier this year we mentioned another Donald Trump-affiliated project facing trouble, now Trump has taken his name off what was to be the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The 298-unit project has already been hit with lawsuits from buyers seeking refunds and faces foreclosure.

The Sun Sentinel quotes Trump as saying that he's not involved with the foreclosure, he added: "we have nothing to do with the building. We had a licensing deal, and we terminated the licensing deal a long time ago." The timing on this is a bit odd. As the Sun Sentinel points out, this statement is coming nearly eight months after all the trouble began back in March and the new loan holder filed to foreclose on the $200 million project.

Over 100 people have put down deposits to buy condos in the building, reserving studios and one- and two-bedroom units priced from about $500,000 to more than $3 million each. Many of those buyers now want their money back and some claim that the developers misrepresented or overstated Trump's involvement with the project. This isn't the first time we've seen this type of claim involving a Trump-licensed real estate project gone sour. He's fighting a similar claim in regards to a failed project in Baja Mexico.

it may take a while to resolve this one. The local courts are clogged with foreclosures and this case's complicated financial dealings-- a series of developers, lenders and a host of far-flung buyers-- also make this one a tough one to sort out.The current loan-holder group is Corus Construction Venture, led by Starwood Capital. It filed for foreclosure March 11 against the developers, SB Hotel Associates. Lawyers for condo buyers are trying to make sure that their clients receive their deposit money owed because those buyers advanced money to the developers before they could borrow from a bank, and that the bank relied on those deposits to make the construction loan.

Tags: donald trump, florida real estate, fort lauderdale, trump real estate

Another Florida Ponzi Schemer Loses His Toys

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Crimes and Misdemeanors

Is Florida the home of the Ponzi scheme. NBC Miami brings in the story of yet another Florida Ponzi schemer who has had his toys seized by federal agents. Fort Lauderdale lawyer Scott Rothstein has not been arrested yet but the IRS has filed documents saying that he has been running a scheme since 2005, swindling hundreds of millions of dollars from investors. The filing says that Rothstein and others created false bank records and created legal settlements that did not exist. According to the Sun-Sentinel, the documents show that Rothstein's clients believed they were buying blocks of structured settlements derived from sexual harassment and labor-related cases in which confidential agreements had been reached. As with other Ponzi schemes new investor money was used to pay previous investors.

Federal agents visited Rothstein's $6.5 million mansion and hauled away his sports car collection and yacht and placed liens on several of his properties. The video from NBC Miami shows flatbed trucks taking away hisRolls-Royce Phantom and Bentley convertible. A red Ferrari was taken from his office and his 80-foot yacht Kimberly, named for his wife was sailed off to a collection agency. So far at least one lawsuit has been filed by investors seeking to get back some of the money they have lost.

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Tags: fort lauderdale, FortLauderdale, nbc miami, NbcMiami, ponzi scheme, ponzi schemer, ponzi schemes, PonziScheme, PonziSchemer, PonziSchemes, scott rothstein, ScottRothstein

Everest Gigayacht Offers to Beat Abramovich by 100 Ft.

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

Regular Luxist readers have followed the saga of the Eclipse, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich's newly launched megayacht which at 557 ft. is the largest private yacht in the world. Now anyone with $500 million to spend can top his triumph by nearly 100 ft. with the 656 ft. Everest designed by Donald Starkey. Rumors about the Everest have been kicking around for a while but it seems the ship, which ushers in a new class of "gigayachts", is actually under construction in Fort Lauderdale and is slated for completion next year, meaning Abramovich has only a few months left to enjoy his naval supremacy. The Everest will be longer than two football fields and have five decks serviced by two elevators, a helipad, a submarine and accommodations for 36 passengers in 17 apartments, including an owner's private penthouse suite on the top deck.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Donald Starkey, DonaldStarkey, Eclipse, Everest, Fort Lauderdale, FortLauderdale, gigayacht, megayacht, Roman Abramovich, RomanAbramovich, superyacht, yacht

Florida Couple Tries Raffle Approach To Unload Their Mansion

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

One Fort Lauderdale couple has taken a the raffle route to sell their waterfront mansion. As the press release says, moving from their dream home is something the Brannans never thought would happen but the couple has decided that the raffle is the best possible solution. They are selling tickets for $10 and a portion of the proceeds go to a local charity. They are hoping to sell 300,000 tickets which would equate to the house selling for $3 million.

A portion of the proceeds from the drawing will benefit The Mission of St. Francis, a charitable organization in Ft. Lauderdale. The home has six bedrooms including a master suite which measures 1,000 square feet and has a second story balcony overlooking the waterway. The luxury home includes an eat-in kitchen, theater room with a 120" screen, four car garage, and there is a pool and a dock on the waterway. The pictures in the gallery below are small but do show a typical Florida luxury home.

The drawing is set for Christmas Day 2009 or as soon as all the tickets have been sold, whichever comes first. If all the tickets are not sold then a 50/50 drawing will be held with 50 percent of the money collected going to the winner and the other 50 percent going to the charity. Records on Property Shark show that the Brennans paid $2.35 million for the home back in 2005.

To buy a ticket click here.

Gallery: Florida Raffle Mansion

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Tags: florida, fort lauderdale, FortLauderdale, house raffle, HouseRaffle

Aloe-Spa Now Available in Florida

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spas

Imagine reaping the benefits of pure aloe while enjoying the therapeutic qualities of a massage or facial. Once available only in Spain and Argentina, Aloe-Spa Salute Per Aloe has recently expanded their business to mobile services available to hotels, condos and luxury residences from Ft. Lauderdale down to South Beach Miami. A few of their services and starting price points include:

Massages - 40 minutes for $120
Facials - 50 min $130
Body treatments - 30 min for $150

Aloe is touted as one of the most healing and soothing plants aptly suited for both health and beauty regimens. Other natural ingredients used in Aloe-Spa's unique services include: organic brown sugar, marine salt, green coffee, honey, green tea extract, mate extract, açai extract, Andean volcanic clay, and pure caviar. Sounds deliciously restful.

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Tags: aloe spa, aloe spa mobile services, AloeSpa, AloeSpaMobileServices, fort lauderdale, FortLauderdale, miami, south beach, SouthBeach

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Sapphire Condos Rising In Fort Lauderdale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

As my colleague Jared Paul Stern reported earlier this year, Fort Lauderdale has been working on its image lately. The latest project is a new pair of condo towers, the Sapphire Condominium project located on A1A just two blocks south of Oakland Park Boulevard. There are two 12-story towers with blue glass and stainless steel accens planned and completion is expected for this coming season. The project includes f 172 two- and three- bedroom residences ranging in size from 1,274 to 2,680 square feet of living space and selling for ranges from the mid $500,000s to over $800,000. Penthouses start at $1.28 million. Homes include private balconies, large master suites and modern kitchens. Building amenities will include a large pool, cabanas, a whirlpool spa, fitness center, juice bar, saunas, a club room, a resident concierge, a garage with a 24-hour valet or self parking and a business center. Residents also get a membership to the Club at Harbor Beach Marriot Resort & Spa.

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Tags: condominiums, florida, florida condos, FloridaCondos, fort lauderdale, FortLauderdale, sapphire condominiums, SapphireCondominiums

Il Lugano, A New Luxury Hotel Opens in Fort Lauderdale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Real Estate Developments

Luxury and Fort Lauderdale are not exactly synonymous but the new 105-suite il Lugano resort hopes to change that. The hotel, which opens on January 2, offers oversized one-bedroom suites and the two-bedroom suites with large balconies. There are also entertainment suites with terraces that are capable of handling up to 50 guests. Amenities include full-sized refrigerators, microwaves and cook-tops and washers and dryers.

The top four floors are given over to 23 residences. The units range in size from 1,600 to 7,000 square feet with 10- to 11-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling glass windows. European kitchens and large balconies. Unit owners are entitled to use all hotel amenities. A three-bedroom condo is currently listed at $1.95 million.

The hotel has a swimming pool, fitness center, lobby bar and 10 boat slips on the Intracoastal Waterway. A signature restaurant fronting the Intracoastal will be announced next spring. Introductory rates start at $199.

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Tags: condo, florida, fort lauderdale, il lugano, IlLugano

Seven Isles, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Often Florida homes can be a little homogenous. Not this one. This new home in the boating community of Seven Isles in Fort Lauderdale, Florida was created by Boca Raton architect Don Yoshino of Yoshino Architects and YT Design Group. The four-bedroom home is inventive and lavish. Fun design details include a red leather-and-stainless-steel fireplace, a corkscrew staircase, a fiber-optic-lit onyx sculpture in the bar, the master suite deck's "sail" canopies, and the zero-edge fountained pool along the waterfront. The kitchen has custom wenge wood cabinetry, cast concrete counters, a Sub-Zero refrigerator, temperature-controlled wine storage, and a cooking island with Wolf gas range. The home also has a library with custom built-in bookcases. The master suite is a private wing with ipe wood floors and wenge wood built-ins housing an entertainment center with 50" plasma television plus built-in Sub-Zero refrigerator/freezer drawers and ice-maker. French doors open out to the roof deck with sail canopies. The home is listed at $5.2 million. After the jump, sail away without ever leaving the house.

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Tags: estate of the day, florida, fort lauderdale, FortLauderdale, luxury real estate, seven isles

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Alhambra Place Penthouse, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

This amazing 8,000-square-foot penthouse takes up the entire top floor in the Alhambra Place condo complex in Fort Lauderdale. As you might imagine, the penthouse has gorgeous 360 views of Fort Lauderdale, the water and the beaches. The home is luxurious on a Trump-style level with the latest high tech systems, three elevator lobbies and a massive great room that has marble floors, a gas fireplace and a piano alcove that opens up to a 45 foot terrace. There is a gourmet kitchen, breakfast bar, formal dining room, a custom library and private office, media room and six bedrooms including a huge master suite that has a granite fireplace and what appears to be a marble bed frame. Crystal chandeliers, intricately pieced hardwood floors, gleaming marble and wood paneling all contribute to a sense of over-the-top luxury. Building amenities include a heated pool, fitness area and a 120 foot dock space with a boat lift. It is listed at $12.25 million. After the jump, the step-up bed and the step-up bath.

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Tags: alhambra place, estate of the day, fort lauderdale, FortLauderdale, penthouse

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La Maison Blanche, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

What makes this Fort Lauderdale home worth its $35 million price tag? First of all it has an enviable position on an intracoastal point that juts out into the water and is bordered on three sides by waterfront. The home itself was built in 1989 and has 11 bedrooms. Luxurious details include a formal dining room with a chandelier, wood coffered ceilings a home theater and a beautiful columned design that features many balconies with views of the water. There is also a 6,500 square foot guest house. A motor court between the guest house and main house provides room for cars or for parties. There are also two, two bedroom apartments over a six car garage. After the jump, just enough room for you and your toys.

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Tags: estate of the day, florida, fort lauderdale, FortLauderdale, real estate

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1 Isle of Bahia, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

This impressive home in Harbor Beach in Fort Lauderdale sits on 320 feet of waterfront along the Intracoastal Waterway. The home has more than 16,000 total square feet of space with an old world style and all sorts of lavish details including a hand-painted domed ceiling in the rotunda foyer. The living room gleams with a gilded dome and there is a mahogany library. The home is a newer build (1999) but has an older style with marble colonnades, carved wood details, mosaics and wrought iron. There is a waterside loggia for entertaining and an in-ground pool. A separate carriage house contains the guest suite. The home is listed at $19.9 million. After the jump, the gilded lily.

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Tags: bahia, estate of the day, florida, fort lauderdale

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Trump's Latest Fort Lauderdale Co-tel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Fort Lauderdale agrees with Donald Trump. He already has created the Trump Fort Lauderdale, a larger Michael Graves-designed co-tel of 300 units which is almost sold out. Now he is creating a smaller more exclusive property, the Trump Las Olas. The new co-tel is on Las Olas Blvd. a strip of shops, galleries and restaurants. The Trump Las Olas will have 95 units in a tiered building with views of Fort Lauderdale Beach, the Intracoastal Waterway or the Bahia Mar Marina. Prices start at $533,705.

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Tags: co-tel, condo, condominium, donald trump, DonaldTrump, florida, fort lauderdale, las olas, real estate

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