Indiana

Round Hill Road, Estate of the Day

In March, Concierge Auctions heads to New York to auction off a home in the lovely small town of Cold Spring, New York. The renovated Colonial estate is on 12 acres and has mountain views. The home was previously listed at $1.95 million and will sell on March 31. The sale is being conducted in cooperation with Jean Cameron-Smith of North Country Sotheby's International Realty.

"This property is breathtaking to say the least. The new owners will enjoy stunning views of Breakneck Ridge, Storm King Mountain and the Hudson Highlands, mere minutes from the charm and culture of historic Cold Spring, and with an easy commute to New York City," Cameron-Smith stated. "My clients are highly motivated and look forward to a successful sale by March 31."

The four-bedroom home has a great room with an 18-foot-tall stone fireplace, floor-to-ceiling windows and custom French doors. The master bedroom has oak windows framing mountain views, a spacious master bath and a walk-in closet.

There are three guest bedrooms and a private attached office/studio loft. Other amenities include a large bonus room on the second floor; an exercise room outfitted with top-of-the-line equipment; a wet bar and kitchenette for casual entertaining; and a three-car garage. Another nice feature is the multi-level deck which has powered awnings and a tiki bar.

The live auction of 60 Round Hill Road will be held on March 31. Phone and Internet bidding will be available. A 2.5% commission is offered to the buyer's broker. The property is open for preview daily by appointment. Those interested in purchasing the property for a reduced price prior to February 11 should contact Concierge Auctions immediately. For more information call 866-605-7286 or visit ColdSpringAuction.com.

Gallery: Round Hill Road

Tags: Cold Spring Pictures, concierge auctions, estate of the day, indiana, luxury real estate auction, new york real estate news, real estate auction, real estate auctions

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Plans For Red Skelton Museum Get $1 Million Boost

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity

Museums dedicated to single figures don't always have a long life span (consider the closing of the Liberace museum in Las Vegas and the Roy Rogers museum). That hasn't stopped the plans for a Red Skelton museum in Indiana. Skelton, who died in 1997, was a popular actor and comedian and later an artist of clown paintings. The plans for a Red Skelton museum have been underway for some time but they got a big donation to further the cause recently.

The Vincennes Sun-Commercial reported this week that Frank Ladner, an Illinois businessman, has donated $1 million toward building a museum honoring comedian Red Skelton in his hometown of Vincennes, Indiana. This puts the Red Skelton Museum Foundation $1.3 million away from its $4 million fundraising goal for building the museum at the Vincennes University performing arts center already named for the actor. The museum would feature costumes, awards and paintings alongside displays about his influence on early television and comedy and a theater also will show a series of Skelton's movies. The museum is being created with private funds.

Tags: indiana, memorabilia, museum, old hollywood, red skelton, vincennes

Conseco Mansion Sells For a Song To Lucas Motor Oil President

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

It seems to be a good week for unloading hard-to-sell megahouses. First we heard about the sale price for Dunellen Hall, now in Indiana the pink palace known as Le Chateau Renaissance has sold for $3 million to Forrest Lucas, founder and president of Lucas Oil motor oil. The home is the former estate of Stephen Hilbert, the one-time head of the firm Conseco. Conseco, which is now insurance company CNO Financial Group Inc. put the home up for auction earlier this year. CNO took the house in 2005 after a dispute with Hilbert over millions he borrowed from the company to buy its stock.

We first saw this home in 2006 when it was the the 2006 Decorators' Show House. The estate was once valued at $25 million but was listed at $20 million in 2006. An auction of the household possessions raised more than $750,000 in February 2005. More recently the home was listed at $9.9 million. WIBC says that Lucas and his wife Charlotte toured the home in 2008 but didn't make an offer. He opened negotiations five weeks ago after hearing that the property might be divided into smaller units. At first his bid of $3 million was rejected but after another deal fell through an arrangement was made.

Tags: carmel, estate, forrest lucas, indiana, indiana real estate, lucas oil

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Maurice Bernard in the Hollywood Hills, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Having a steady gig in Hollywood seems to leave to leave certain soap opera actors plenty of time for home renovation. Earlier this year we took a look at the home of Peter Reckell and now we're checking out the Los Angeles home of another long-term soap opera stud, General Hospital's Maurice Benard. Benard has had a solid gig since 1993 playing mob boss Sonny Corinthos but in real life he and his wife Paula are avid home remodelers. The LA Times Hot Property column reports that the home the pair has currently listed is one they bought in 2007 to live in while remodeling their larger primary residence. According to records on PropertyShark.com they paid $1.25 million.

The LA Times article says that the couple decided to make a few alterations to the Hollywood Hills home and nearly ended up rebuilding the whole thing. The four-bedroom Mediterranean was built in 1956 but has been given a very modern redo that includes a great room with pitched ceilings, a stacked stone fireplace and slate floors leading to an open kitchen. The four-bedroom home includes a lower level master suite with large his/her walk-in closets, sitting areas and French doors that open to the private yard and views. The Benards like to entertain and also built a covered patio entertainment area with an outdoor kitchen and a flatscreen television but there is no pool. The home is listed at $1.55 million.

Gallery: Maurice Bernard in the Hollywood Hills

Tags: california real estate, celebrity real estate losers, estate of the day, general hospital, indiana, Los Angeles Real Estate news, maurice benard, Sonny Corinthos

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Rockmeadow, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Rockmeadow is a classic estate in Fairfield, Connecticut. The estate was once owned by legendary American composer Richard Rodgers. The Cameron Clark-designed Colonial sits on 21 acres on manicured green lawns overlooking a spring-fed pond. The property includes a gunite pool, har-tru tennis court, guest house with caretakers cottage and greenhouse.Clark built the home in 1929, and over the years it has been expanded and renovated to include three stories with six bedrooms, large open kitchen and a library with cherry paneling. For the most part the home still reflects classic New England style with only a few glaringly modern touches like the updated kitchen and a modern bathroom with a separate walk-in shower. A few years ago it was listed at $12.95 million but is now listed at $8.35 million.

Gallery: Rockmeadow

Tags: connecticut, connecticut real estate, estate of the day, fairfield, indiana, richard rodgers

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Vintage Indiana Offers A Day Of Tasting The Midwest's Finest

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Events

Wine festivals aren't just limited to the coasts. One of the biggest events to take place in Indiana is the Vintage Indiana festival which is held in Military park in downtown Indianapolis on June 5 this year. The festival features offerings from 26 Indiana wineries and 11 restaurants as well as other activities. The Indiana Wine Grape Council named Traminette Indiana's state grape and the festival should feature some offerings using the grape. The event is a family affair, there is the KidZone at Vintage Indiana 2010 which includes face painters, cartoonist and balloon artists and ice cream.Tickets for the all-day event are $25 at the door. An overnight package that offers two tickets and a stay at the Hyatt Regency is $166.

[via The Journal Gazette]

Tags: indiana, vintage indiana, wine events, wine festival

New Pete Dye Golf Course Opening at French Lick Resort

by Paul Rogers (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports

Although more golf courses in the U.S. are closing than opening these days, as spring arrives there are at least some breaks in the industry's gloomy skies. The most sparkling of all may be the new Pete Dye Course at historic French Lick Resort in southern Indiana. (An hour's drive north of Louisville, Ky., French Lick is the hometown of basketball legend Larry Bird.)

Dye, the irascible 83-year-old architect of such celebrated layouts as TPC Sawgrass and Whistling Straits, is an Indiana native, and he was clearly energized to be working on this project. The course, scheduled to open April 24, drapes across rolling hills overlooking Hoosier National Forest. It bears many of Dye's hallmarks, including aggressive mounding, bold and deceptive bunkering, and strategic holes that vary greatly in length.

The Pete Dye Course is the latest of several recent improvements to French Lick Resort, whose mineral springs have been attracting visitors since the late 1700s. Its 1917 Donald Ross course--a wonderful complement to the more modern Dye design--underwent an extensive restoration. So, too, did the landmark West Baden Springs Hotel, one of the resort's two hotels. Built at the turn of the twentieth century in the style of a grand European spa, with a soaring atrium under a massive circular dome, the hotel reopened in 2007 after a $500 million refurbishment.

Gallery: French Lick Resort

Tags: Donald Ross, DonaldRoss, French Lick Resort, FrenchLickResort, golf, Indiana, Pete Dye, PeteDye, West Baden Springs Hotel, WestBadenSpringsHotel

West Baden Springs Hotel's Amazing Atrium

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

I have a weakness for the grand hotels of the early 1900s. A couple of years ago I wrote about the renovations of the French Lick Resort's makeover but the renovations also extended to the West Baden Springs Hotel in French Lick, Indiana which was reopened in 2007 after a $500 million renovation. The most impressive feature of this resort is a huge six-story domed atrium. The atrium is a setting of classic elegance offering small seating areas, live performances of soft music and shops around the perimeter. The West Baden area was once a vacation destination for those coming to take the waters at the local springs. The first hotel was opened in the 1850s but burned down in 1901 and was replaced by today's grand incarnation. After the stock market crash in 1929, the hotel slowly lost its guests and closed in 1932. It was bought in 2005 and when it reopened last year it was the first time in 75 years that it had been in use as a hotel.

The hotel includes a spa, indoor pool and 246 guest rooms and suites. The hotel shares amenities with the French Lick Resort offering access to golf courses, riding stables and historic tours. Overnight golf packages with unlimited golf at the Donald Ross Course, The Valley Links and driving range usage start at $375.

[via The Columbus Dispatch]

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Tags: french lick, FrenchLick, hotel, indiana, vacation, west baden springs hotel, WestBadenSpringsHotel

Long Beach, Indiana, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's home introduced me to the small lakeside community of Long Beach, Indiana. The town is a popular vacation spot for those looking for a quick getaway from Chicago, which is an hour away. Today's home is one of the most lavish in the area. It sits right on the water with lake and Chicago skyline views and has 280 ft. of private beach. The four-bedroom home was built back in 1927 with a Mediterranean style that seems more suited for a warm weather location. The home has a great outdoor terrace, wine room, a gym that looks to be tucked into a porch-like space and has had its classic style updated with granite countertops in kitchens and baths and those glass box showers that are currently so popular. The home has retained its beautiful beamed ceilings and original fireplaces. It is listed at $6.24 million.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Gallery: Long Beach Indiana

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Tags: estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, indiana, long beach

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Sugar-Free Wine?

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Woo hoo! Alright, here is the scoop. No calories, no carbs, yet still delicious. Last Saturday in Indiana, Chateau Thomas Winery revealed their new wine called Slender -- quite the fitting name! Although its a standard wine in most ways it is sweetened with erythritol, which is somewhat like Splenda in that it brings flavor without costly calories. Although it only retails for $10, which is obviously not top-shelf enough to compete with our usual wine highlights, a wine that brings enjoyment without the pounds is certainly worth celebrating.

[via IndyStar]

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Tags: Chateau-Thomas-Winery, Indiana, Slender, sugar-free-wine

Indianapolis Home, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Too often I see houses without enough furniture in them. They are staged for their listing photo shoot or are newer homes. That isn't the case with today's home in Indianapolis it seems very, very well lived in. This four-bedroom home was built in the 1950s and is absolutely stuffed with furniture and wall decorations. Never have over 10,000 square feet seemed quite so crowded. The walls are covered in crucifixes, mirrors and paintings, each window is wreathed in fabric and there are spare tables, overstuffed couches and puffy chairs taking up every conceivable space. The home sits on over seven acres and is listed for $5.5 million. After the jump, worst position for a flatscreen TV ever.

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Tags: estate of the day, indiana, indianapolis, luxury real estate, real estate

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French Lick Resort Set To Re-Open

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

I love it when an older resort gets a face lift and appeals to a whole new generation of travelers. The French Lick Resort and Spa has been renovated in the past year to coincide with the opening of the property's new casino. The original resort was built in the 1840s and then rebuilt in grand style in the late 1890s. Now the 443-room resort includes a larger revamped spa that still includes the mineral-rich "Pluto Water" that lured guests to the hotel one hundred years ago. The 84,000 square-foot nautically themed casino has a large gaming room with 26-foot ceilings.

The hotel is still being worked on but is open to guests. For those who really want to step back in time the hotel is holding a 1920s-themed New Year's Eve celebration. For $695 you can stay at the hotel, attend the Roaring Twenties party with a five course dinner and an open bar and enjoy breakfast the next morning.

[via The Daily World]

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Tags: casino, french lick, FrenchLick, indiana, resort

Shaq's Ferrari For Sale This Weekend

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

The good thing about buying a Ferrari that used to belong to NBA star Shaquille O'Neal is that he always puts his own custom touches in. Case in point, this 1998 Ferrari F-1355 convertible. The sound system, seats and wheels have all been customized for Shaq and the car has a modified gas tank. The car is up for auction at the 15th annual Auburn Spring MotorFair this weekend through Kruse International. A sweet ride but in my opinion silver is not a good look for Ferraris.

[via Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]

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Tags: auction, exotic cars, ferrari, indiana, shaq, shaquille o'neal

LuxShare Auto Club To Launch in Indiana

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Services, Luxury Cars & Autos

Car clubs are everywhere lately. The latest place? Evansville, Indiana. The LuxShare Auto Club is a new club which will use a points system, selling shares which will cost $7,250 to $9,000 per year. The club is located at the Buxton Motorsports Plaza. Their first purchase was the new Porsche Cayman S and they have their eye on adding a Ferrari, a Rolls Royce and a Bentley to the stable. There will even be a pickup truck for weekend chores. They are looking to have only around 50 members with one vehicle for every three or four people.

[via The Gleaner]

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Tags: auto, automobile, car sharing club, cayman s, club, exotic car, ferrari, indiana, porsche