connecticut real estate

50 Cent Drops The Price Of His Connecticut Home

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Rapper/actor 50 Cent (a.k.a. Curtis Jackson) is one of our all time celebrity real estate slow sellers. He's been trying to unload the pile of property in Farmington, Connecticut which he bought from Mike Tyson's ex-wife for several years. He bought the home for just $4.1 million but reportedly spent $6 million renovating it. He has been trying to sell the home since 2007 when he wanted $18.5 million for the property.

In 2009 he settled a lawsuit against an engineering firm that he hired to inspect the 52-room home before he bought it. He claimed they underestimated the value of the repairs needed. The mansion was listed at $14.5 million at that point but then was pulled off the market. It went back up with a new listing agent and a new price of $10.9 million.

Now here we are in 2011 and he has again switched agents. New agent William Raveis announced the listing on StamfordPlus. The home has 52 rooms on 17 private acres and includes a personal helicopter pad.

The new listing comes with new pictures that show the home in a better light than we have seen before. The home still seems more like a hotel than a residence but the new pictures showcase the marble foyer, the dining room, living room, kitchen and home office. The pictures also show the grand home theater, billiards room and nightclub with a lighted dance floor, bar and DJ area. The nightclub also has a private room for after-hours entertainment. For other activities there is also a racquet ball court, indoor pool, large gym, fitness facilities and an outdoor basketball court. Check out the listing for a virtual tour on this property which has finally dipped below the $10 million mark. It now sits at $9,999,999.

Gallery: New Listing Pictures For 50 Cent's Connecticut Home

Tags: 50 cent, celebrity real estate, connecticut real estate, curtis jackson, farmington, farmington connecticut

Glenn Beck Drops The Price On His New Canaan Home

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Our friends at Gawker brought my attention to a little real estate lollygagging. It turns out that talk show host Glenn Beck's home in New Canaan, Connecticut has been on the market for a year with no sale in sight. He bought the six-bedroom, eight-bathroom mansion for $4.2 million in 2005 and first listed it for $4.9 million. The price later dropped to $3.9 million and now sits at $3.65 million.

The six-bedroom home on 6.8 acres is pretty much a New England traditional home. The only room that seem uniquely Beck is his home office with a phalanx of computer monitors on the desk, a pair of flatscreens on the wall and plenty of historical memorabilia including a framed flag.

Rush Limbaugh had to settle around $2 million less than his asking when he sold his NYC penthouse earlier this year. Beck probably won't have to knock that much off but another price cut probably couldn't hurt.

Gallery: Glenn Beck in New Canaan

Tags: celebrity real estate, connecticut real estate, glenn beck, new canaan

Northwood, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

This estate on around 4.25 acres in Greenwich, Connecticut looks like one of the area's older homes but it was built just a few years ago. Classic Tudor styling and the use of reclaimed materials give this home a vintage look (although the use of ornate floor mosaics does give it away as a more recent build). The home opens into a 40-foot turret entry foyer with sweeping staircase and an antique balustrade. There is a gourmet Clive Christian kitchen and large family room with coffered ceiling. The expansive library welcomes guests with a 19th century bar. The reception area leads to a formal dining room and grand living room with French doors. Amid all the nods to older styling, this house is also up to date with the latest technology, it has a smart house system with Crestron system advantage lighting. This eight-bedroom property is listed at $15.9 million.

Gallery: Northwood

Tags: connecticut real estate, estate of the day, greenwich, greenwich connecticut, greenwich real estate

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Chateau Fleur-De-Lis, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that JetBlue founder David Neeleman and his wife, Vicki had put their New Canaan, Connecticut home up for sale. The Neelmans spent a year designing the eight-bedroom home which was completed in 2008. The couple has nine children and the home's 13,300 square feet offered plenty of room to roam. The home is also on 3.4 acres with a heated swimming pool on the grounds. There is a large gym with a basketball court and a lower level recreation room that has a fireplace, full kitchen and a theater with a stage. Although this is a newer home it takes many of its design cues from the past with large fireplaces and arched wood beam ceilings. The WSJ says the couple spent more than $17 million on the house but are asking $10.999 million (with Lynne Leonard Realty).

Gallery: Chateau Fleur De Lis

Tags: connecticut real estate, david neelerman, estate of the day, jet blue, new canaan

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Leona Helmsley's Dunnellen Hall Sells For $35 Million

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

In August we learned that Leona Helmsley's former home, Dunnellen Hall in Greenwich, Connecticut might finally be sold. Now the Greenwich Time gives us a sold price and it's even lower than had been anticipated. This home hit the market in 2008 for $125 million. Price cut after price cut followed until it hit $60 million. The Greenwich Time says that the home has been sold for $35 million, a full $90 million discount. The buyer is listed as a trustee, Cynthia L. Smith of the Greenwich law firm Whitman, Breed, Abbott & Morgan LLP. Jane Basham of David Ogilvy & Associates was the selling agent.

The traditional brick mansion is approximately 23,0000 square feet with seven upstairs bedroom suites, a glass-walled music room, a wood- paneled library with a 15th century fireplace mantel, formal dining room, family room with a bar and much more. The back wing is home to the staff area which has six bedrooms. The indoor pool has four exposures and includes areas for sitting and changing. There is also a 75-foot outdoor pool with a terrace and a cabana with a kitchen. There are also brick cottages with an additional six bedrooms total. The Helmsleys bought Dunnellen Hall in 1983 for $9 million (paying an extra $2 million for the furniture) and later picked up another 14 acres bringing the total to 40 acres. We've heard from those who have visited the home that it is in a state of disrepair and will cost millions to fix. The sale will be a boon for the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, which supports health care and medical research.

The home is just the latest in Greenwich in a year that has seen Tommy Hilfiger pick up a new home for $31.375 million and Mel Gibson's Old Mill Farm sell for almost $24 million. The top of the market is now the Point of View estate listed at $42 million.

Gallery: Dunnellen Hall

Tags: connecticut, connecticut real estate, dunnellen hall, estates, green

Golden Harvest Estate, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Auctions

A bucolic 15-acre Connecticut retreat heads to auction on October 16 through Concierge Auctions. This home in Litchfield County was previously offered for $7.995 million and will sell without reserve, meaning it will sell to the highest bidder regardless of price. The live, on-site auction is being conducted in cooperation with listing agent John C. Sniffen of Litchfield Sotheby's International Realty.

"This client is committed to being the next luxury estate to sell in Litchfield County," stated Sniffen. "Not only are the property's 15 acres picturesque and expansive, but the home itself is new and exquisitely-constructed, while only a two-hour commute to New York City. "

The 7,500-square-foot home has six bedrooms and 4,500 square feet of outdoor living space. The large stone entryway that makes use of reclaimed material excavated from the property. The massive stone fireplace is the heart of the Great Room, which has 30 foot ceilings and enormous windows. The formal living room has an old-world cast iron gas fireplace, and the library offers ample seating and spectacular views of the wraparound deck. The third floor includes an office suite and the basement has more than 1,900 square feet of space for indoor entertainment, including an exercise room and theater. Another 30-foot covered fireplace of New England fieldstone is the centerpiece for the porch and provides a way to stay warm while enjoying the view of rolling green hills. For more information visit www.HarvestEstateAuction.com or call 877-217-2001.

Gallery: Golden Harvest Estate

Tags: concierge auctions, connecticut real estate, estate of the day, new england real estate, real esate auction

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Point of View, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Greenwich, Connecticut has a new top listed real estate property. The market in the tony town is now crowned by Point of View, a six-bedroom waterfront estate on over four acres with views overlooking Long Island Sound. The property also has a four-bedroom carriage house and the very unusual detail of a 175-foot suspension bridge that extends to a stone pier. The bridge was designed by John Roebling, the engineer who created the Brooklyn Bridge.

The home was built in 1903 and as listing pictures show, the home is full of the art of the former owners, the late Norman and Suzanne Hascoe. The Hascoes' collection of Czech modernist art, Old Master paintings and historic furniture will be auctioned off by Sotheby's early next year. The stone residences is on 340 feet of shoreline. Features include a 35-foot-high, marble-floored atrium gallery. A semi-circular, window-walled living room makes the most of the views and library/gallery spaces are arranged on the main and garden levels. Another truly amazing space is the natatorium/ballroom with an elaborate mosaic floor that lowers with the touch of a button to transform into the indoor swimming pool. This home is listed at $42.5 million.

Gallery: Point of View

[via the Wall Street Journal]

Tags: connecticut real estate, estate of the day, Greenwich, greenwich real estate

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Sail Harbour, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's home on Sail Harbour in New Fairfield, Connecticut was built in 2002 but has the look of a much older home. The Victorian style home is situated on 8.5 acres with direct Candlewood Lake waterfront views and a sandy beach with a long dock that ends with a waterslide. The rambling home has four floors of living space with eight bedrooms. The home combines the best of old and new; it has a large open gourmet kitchen but has many of the smaller niches and nooks that make older homes such a delight. The home has a tennis court, a separate beach house, a sauna, gym, hot tub, wine cellar and more. This home is listed at $15 million.

Gallery: Sail Harbor

Tags: connecticut real estate, estate of the day, new fairfield

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Will Dunnellen Hall Finally Sell?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Could one of the country's most extravagant and expensive homes finally be sold? The NY Post says that Dunnellen Hall in Greenwich, Connecticut is at the contract stage. Leona Helmsley's former home first hit the market in 2008 for an astounding $125 million. Price cut after price cut followed until it hit $60 million. The NY Post's source revealed that the home may sell to a mystery buyer for under $55 million. The listing still appears on the David Oglivy & Associates website.

The traditional brick mansion is approximately 23,0000 square feet with seven upstairs bedroom suites, a glass-walled music room, a wood- paneled library with a 15th century fireplace mantel, formal dining room, family room with a bar and much more. The back wing is home to the staff area which has six bedrooms. The indoor pool has four exposures and includes areas for sitting and changing. There is also a 75-foot outdoor pool with a terrace and a cabana with a kitchen. There are also brick cottages with an additional six bedrooms total. The Helmsleys bought Dunnellen Hall in 1983 for $9 million (paying an extra $2 million for the furniture) and later picked up another 14 acres bringing the total to 40 acres.

The sale will be a boon for the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, which supports health care and medical research. We've heard from those who have visited the home that it is in a state of disrepair and will cost millions to fix. The Post article echoes that saying that it has a leaky roof and other problems. It also has astounding property taxes, a total of $183,000 a year according to the Post. The MLS lists the most expensive piece of property on the market in Greenwich right now as a 27-acre piece of property that is "contiguous to and once part of the great estate, Dunnellen Hall" for $39 million.

Gallery: Dunnellen Hall

Tags: connecticut real estate, dunnellen hall, Greenwich, Leona Helmsley

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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Modern in Greenwich, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Although it's been three years since I checked out an Ulrich Franzen house, I knew that this Greenwich, Connecticut house had a familiar look. Some architects carry their mark into every home. Several of Franzen's homes look like giant oceanliners steaming over the landscape. This 1992 home is on seven acres overlooking a lake. The most striking feature of the home is a large two-story glass atrium. The interior is spare and modern with concrete, granite and marble. The five-bedroom home also an elevator, an indoor pool, media, exercise and billiard rooms. Outside a granite terrace surrounds a Shoreline pool with cabana and faces an illuminated tennis court. There is also a two-bedroom guest cottage and ample garage. It is listed at $13 million.

Tags: connecticut real estate, estate of the day, greenwich, ulrich franzen

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Hollow Tree Ridge Road, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

We're back in Darien, Connecticut today for another classic New England farmhouse. Today's home is on 5.47 acres in the rolling green back country. The home has pieces that date back to the mid 1700s and the lowslung rough-hewn wood beams and large brick fireplaces clearly mark it as an older New England home. There are a total of 12 working fireplaces. The property has a barn, pool, large terraces and an enclosed herb garden. Inside there is a garden room, library, redone kitchen and a large master bedroom with walk-in closets and French doors. This one is listed at $5.2 million.

Gallery: Hollow Tree Ridge Road

Tags: connecticut real estate, darien, estate of the day

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Greenwich Deep-Water Estate, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Most real estate agents know enough not to photograph a house when it is decorated for Christmas. It only works if you've got a picturesque snowy cabin to sell and think it will move during the season when our hearts our filled with cheer. But that's not all that seems off about this home in Greenwich, Connecticut. The good news is that it is situated perfectly with direct Long Island Sound views. The bad news is that this home appears to have been left back in the 1980s when it was built. Gilding, vertical blinds, mirrored walls and curious bits of abstract art give the impression of a home that is in need of being brought forward a decade or two. The home opens with bronze front doors and a two story foyer featuring a marble "waterfall" wall and a koi pond.Floor to ceiling glass walls showcase the view. The paneled library/media room has a viewing screen which emerges from the ceiling. The property includes a separate two-bedroom apartment, seaside pool, poolhouse and private beach. It is listed at $22 million.
* Web #: 0065027

Gallery: Greenwich Deep-Water Estate

Tags: connecticut real estate, estate of the day, greenwich

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Darien, Connecticut, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's Colonial style home in Darien, Connecticut is worth check out as much for its traditionally charming brick exterior as it is for its cool gray modern interior. Outside it's just as classic as can be right down to the pineapple molding above the columned door. Inside the home has been renovated with an urban elegance that reminds me of a layout that one might have seen in Metropolitan Home magazine. The sophisticated palette of dark wood contrasted with the soft dove gray furnishings and simple art creates an uncluttered and calm space. The six-bedroom home has views of Scott's Cove on Long Island Sound and comes with a beach and small dock. There is room enough for a new owner to install a pool. It is listed at $7.25 million.

Gallery: Well Decorated in Darien

Tags: connecticut real estate, darien, estate of the day

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Round Hill, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Now that Mel Gibson's Old Mill Farm finally sold we need a new Greenwich, Connecticut classic to obsess over. Presented for your consideration is this great estate, a pre-war French Normandy with views of the New York City skyline and Long Island Sound. The home has two double-gated driveways that lead you through the 22 acre property passing by rolling lawns, boxwood gardens, rose and flower gardens and even a stone lion on the way to the large main house. But here alas is where our journey ends, that's right, this $33 million listing doesn't have a single inside picture. The listing description tells of classically scaled rooms, leaded glass, French doors, carved motifs and a circular stairway. The eight bedroom home has a master suite with dual bedrooms and dressing rooms, a kitchen with breakfast room, butler and service pantries, billiard, exercise and media rooms. The property has both indoor and outdoor pools, gazebos and a greenhouse with a fireplace. The listing calls it "a must see for anyone who wants the best." I just want to see inside!

[Thanks, James!]

Gallery: Round Hill, Estate of the Day