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Chesapeake's Perry Cabin Offers Sailing School

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Yachts & Sailing

The Inn at Perry Cabin, a luxurious manor house and spa on the Chesapeake Bay, is now offering access to an off-shore sailing school.

Built in 1816, The Inn at Perry Cabin was converted to a 25-acre, luxury country house hotel in 1980. Located in the Victorian resort town of St. Michael's, Maryland, the inn offers 80 rooms-most with a deck or patio-that feature a mix of modern and period furniture, fireplaces and Italian marble bathrooms stocked with Molton Brown products. A club-like lounge and the modern British fare of Sherwood's Landing, the inn's dining establishment, all lend a classic, yachting atmosphere to the property. That is bound only to increase with the addition of off-shore sailing lessons, through Steve and Doris Colgate's school. Choose either a three-day "Learn to Sail" course, a more leisurely paced half-day session (spread out over five days), or for those who have the basics down, a five-day "Bareboat Cruising" course. For those with limited time, or patience, there's also an intensive two-day course that keeps students on a Colgate 26 sailing boat for 48 hours and then offers five half-days on a 43'-49' cruiser. Perhaps best of all, you can avoid landlubbers and their wobbly sea legs by booking private lessons for two.

Tags: hotels, maryland, sailing, school, st. michaels, the inn at perry cabin

The Classicist: Historic Hudson River Astor Estate Restored to Its Former Glory

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, The Classicist

Marienruh, a historic fieldstone colonial revival country estate built for heiress Alice Astor, the daughter of John Jacob Astor IV and sister of Vincent Astor, and her Russian aristocrat husband Prince Serge Obolensky in 1926 is being restored to its former glory by its new owners. The gracious mansion, situated on 100 scenic acres given to Alice by her brother overlooking the Hudson River in Rhinebeck, New York, was constructed for the glamorous couple by renowned architect Mott B. Schmidt. It had been on the market for $8.5 million up until last summer when unnamed buyers purchased the property, which had been in institutional use for some time, and set about renovating it – a pleasing reversal in an age where many fine old mansions are being put to less dignified uses, often destroying their souls in the process.

After Alice Astor's death the mansion was used over the years as a Christian youth camp, a home for unwed mothers, a drug rehab center and an events space. Over the decades the house was stripped of nearly all its original details, including fireplace mantels, lighting fixtures, hardware and even the copper gutters. The restoration work is being done extremely carefully, overseen by New York architect-designer Robert Couturier. A few upgrades are of course necessary, and new greenhouses are being installed. One of the wings will now house an elegant two-story tall library. As architectural historian Mark Alan Hewitt notes in The Architecture of Mott B. Schmidt (Rizzoli, 1991), Marienruh's block-with-dependencies design was inspired by two influential 18th century American mansions: Montpelier (1751) in Laurel, Maryland, and the the Hammond-Harwood House (1773-4) in Annapolis, MD.

Marienruh is next to photographer Annie Leibovitz's 220-acre spread which had been listed for sale at $11 million as part of her debt restructuring imbroglio. David Bowie and his wife Iman have reportedly considered buying it; other celebrities with property in the area include Liam Neeson, Gwyneth Paltrow, financier George Soros, hotelier Andre Balazs, and Rolling Stone magazine founder Jann Wenner. Leibovitz's property including some stone barns was once part of Alice's father John Jacob Astor IV's 3,500-acre estate Ferncliff; another remnant of that once glorious demesne is the beautiful Astor Courts, designed by Stanford White as a playhouse for Ferncliff with an indoor pool and tennis court, which was was an Estate of the Day last fall with an asking price of $12 million.

Gallery: Marienruh

Tags: Annie Leibovitz, architect, architecture, Astor, Astor family, Astors, country house, David Bowie, estate, Gwyneth Paltrow, historic houses, Hudson River, library, mansion, Maryland, Mott B. Schmidt, New York, restoration, Rhinebeck, Stanford White

The Classicist: America's Finest Equestrian Architecture

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Sports, The Classicist, Wealth

Kathryn Masson, author of the book on Hunt Country Style which we wrote about back in 2008, has returned with another brilliant exposition on equestrian style for our enjoyment. Stables: Beautiful Paddocks, Horse Barns, and Tack Rooms takes us on an alluring journey through America's horse country. Collaborating once again with Hunt Country photographer Paul Rocheleau, Masson visits some of the most notable stables and equestrian centers from coast to coast. Ranging from private to historic to state-of-the-art, from homes for retired racehorses to lodgings for polo ponies, thoroughbreds and world champions, 25 distinctive examples of equestrian architecture and interiors are profiled, showcasing their design, construction, and landscaping.

Each of the featured buildings evokes its distinctive regional heritage, from an enormous 1830s English-style barn near the Saratoga Springs Racetrack, to the Mediterranean aesthetic of one of the world's leading Arabian breeding farms, Om El Arab International in California's Santa Ynez Valley. Also highlighted are the world-famous racing stable Newstead Farm in Upperville, Virginia, home of Kentucky Derby winner Genuine Risk, and the quintessential Western working ranch Centennial Ranch in Ridgeway, Colorado. Three historic Vanderbilt family stables are featured: The Breakers in Newport, Sandy Point Stables in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and the newly restored project of Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, Sagamore Farm in Glyndon, Maryland.

Avid equestrienne and professor Dr. Perky Beisel explores the history of the American stable and the long tradition of horsemanship in this United States in an informative preface. "For some Americans, horse ownership and participation in horse sports became a lifestyle and, for others, a way to join the upper class," She notes. "Families who reaped the benefits of 19th-century expansion in industries such as railroads and manufacturing had seemingly unlimited wealth with which to satisfy their desires. While some became notable art collectors, yachtsmen, or horticulturalists, others became active participants in horse sports. In so doing, not only did they create a new upper class, but they also transformed the physical landscape of equestrian recreation and leisure."

Gallery: Great American Stables

U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation Center, Gladstone, NJ

Tags: architecture, book, California, coffee table book, coffee table books, Colorado, equestrian, foxhunting, horseracing, horses, hunt country, Kathryn Masson, Kentucky Derby, luxury book, Maryland, polo, Rhode Island, Saratoga Springs, stables, The Breakers, upper class, Vanderbilt, Virginia

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Tulip Hill Gets A New Owner

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Auctions

When I mentioned Tulip Hill, a Maryland home up for auction, some of you expressed concern that it find a good buyer. Concierge Auctions has released the results of the auction which took place on April 10. The pre-Revolutionary War estate sold above its listing price of $2.375 million (the most recently listed price, it was once as high as $7.5 million). George Graham, CEO of Concierge Auctions has said that their process found bidders who "appreciated the pedigree of the property." There were a total of over 500 visitors to the estate with over 100 interested buyer prospects, and 17 registered bidders from Dubai, England and six U.S. states. Tulip Hill is a Georgian plantation house built by Samuel Galloway circa 1756. It is on nearly 52 acres that includes water frontage and pier and includes terraced gardens and manicured grounds. The buyer is said to be a retired senior military official from the area.

Gallery: Tulip Hill

Tags: estate of the day, luxury real estate auction, maryland, real estate auction, real estate auction results, tulip hill

Tulip Hill, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Often we see newer homes going up for auction but today's estate, Tulip Hill in Anne Arundel County, Maryland dates back to before the Revolutionary War. Tulip Hill is a Georgian plantation house built by Samuel Galloway circa 1756. It is on nearly 52 acres that includes water frontage and pier and includes terraced gardens and manicured grounds.

Wings were added to the house between 1787-1790 enlarging Tulip Hill into its final and present five-part form by appending the two end wings and a pair of connecting hypens. The plantation house remained in the possession of the Galloway family until 1886. The five-part composition has a full stone basement under the entire structure. The central block is two full stories with a high unfinished attic and double hipped roof. The two brick end wings, built at right angles to the main axis are two stories of lower height than the main house. Both have gabled roofs with a single chimney located in the center of the outer side walls. The two brick connecting hyphens are one story with very low attic space and are covered with gable roofs that have small dormers. A whimsical note can be found on the pediment of the porch which is supported by four columns and contains a carved figure of Cupid. The fireplaces in the central block are faced with either Dutch tile or marble and are framed with wood paneling. The doors, paneling, floorboards, and stair treads are of pine and most of the hardware is original. The house was little altered during the nineteenth century and has never undergone extensive restoration. You don't get much more American authentic than this beauty.

It is being auctioned off on April 10 by Concierge Auctions. It was previously offered for $7.5 million and will have a suggested opening bid of $1.65 million.

Tags: concierge auctions, estate of the day, luxury real estate, luxury real estate auction, maryland, tulip hill

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Condo Auction Face Off To Take Place In Maryland

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Real Estate Developments

We've seen a lot of condo auctions recently but a condo war of dueling condo auctions is a new one. Two condo auctions will be held later this month for units in an Ocean City, Maryland complex. There will be two separate auctions because of a fractured real estate partnership. The Bahia I and Bahia Vista II are two buildings that are bayfront and bayview and many units have private balconies. After the partnership ended one owner, Spiro Buas, ended up with 11 units which he plans to sell at an auction on February 27. The units will be auctioned off by Marshall Auctions. Some units come with boatslips. Ther will be no minimum prices on four of the condos, some which were listed as high as $800,000. Also on the same day, and at the same time, Max Spann Real Estate will auction off nine codnos in the Bahia Vista I building. Bids start as low as $95,000 for condos that were once listed as high as $730,000. It's a bit of a bizarre situation but one that should be a benefit to potential buyers looking for a deal.

Tags: bahia vista condos, BahiaVistaCondos, condo auction, CondoAuction, maryland, ocean city, OceanCity

The Classicist: Tanglewood Conservatories, Turn-of-the-Century Style

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, The Classicist

Beginning in the 18th century, English country houses had glass-paned orangeries where exotic plants, flowers and citrus trees flourished throughout the cooler months, providing a haven from the elements for their inhabitants and spaces for entertaining in summer. Their popularity surged during the 19th century when new construction techniques allowed for ever more fantastical structures, but they pretty much disappeared as tastes and styles changed in more modern times. At Tanglewood Conservatories, on the Eastern Shore area of Maryland's Chesapeake Bay, Alan Stein, Nancy Virts and co. aim to recreate some of that bygone elegance. The company designs and builds bespoke turn-of-the-century domes, conservatories, greenhouses and swimming pool enclosures in high style.

Every structure is made by hand at the Tanglewood atelier, and the prices, starting at $175,000, reflect the time, attention and high quality materials that goes into their construction. They can be added to existing houses and mansions or built as part of brand new estates, like this incredible spread in Washington. Some of their well-known clients include Eddie Murphy, director / producer Ron Howard, the Dallas Cowboys' Don Abbey, late Lazard Freres CEO Bruce Wasserstein and interior designer Mario Buatta. Each creation is totally unique; Tanglewood never repeats the same design twice. The fit and finish of a Tanglewood conservatory has more in common with fine furniture than carpentry. Usually constructed of solid mahogany, these are intricate, complex, highly detailed structures, some large enough to hold fully-grown trees. The company also constructs glass and copper domes, roof lanterns and skylights in virtually any size, shape and design.

Gallery: Tanglewood Conservatories

The Victorians regarded the conservatory as nothing short of a triumph of architecture over nature. Swimming pool enclosures might seem a more modern innovation, but in fact the tradition of building extraordinary structures to enclose both public and private swimming pools is in even older, dating to the great Roman balnea or thermae. Most Roman cities had at least one such building, which was central to the public life of its citizens. Most private villas also included a bath house. The opulent pool enclosure pictured above was constructed for an estate in Kentucky. Tanglewood's sensitivity to form, proportion, materials and detail is evident in its pleasing lines. Their craftsmen are heirs to a 300-year-old craft and woodworking tradition, especially in an area with a long history in boatbuilding. See the gallery for more examples of Tanglewood's high-end designs in various styles.

Tags: architecture, conservatory, Eddie Murphy, EddieMurphy, garden, greenhouse, Maryland, swimming pool, SwimmingPool, Tanglewood Conservatories, TanglewoodConservatories

Hunter's Oak Golf Club For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, Real Estate Developments

Ever wanted to own your own golf club? If you've got $12 million to spend, Hunter's Oak can be yours. This club is located on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay along the banks of the Wye River. This property in Queenstown, Maryland is on approximately 250 acres that include sa golf course, lakes, ponds and scenic natural beauty all around. The 18-hole, par 72 course offers Scottish Links authenticity. There is also a nine-hole Parkland course. The private clubhouse has a Scottish pub and grille as well as a pro shop and has had hosted many a wedding.

Gallery: Hunter's Oak

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Tags: golf club for sale, GolfClubForSale, hunters oak, HuntersOak, maryland

Kate Gosselin Buying In Maryland Or Not?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Celebrity Shopping

We already know that reality TV dad Jon Gosselin has his own bachelor pad but now his soon-to-be ex-wfie may soon have her own home away from home. Radar Online says that Kate Gosselin is buying a condo in Rockville, Maryland, conveniently near the office of her bodyguard, Steve Neild. Sounds convenient, right? But wait, People Magazine however, says that she is not buying or renting in the area. She was just having lunch in a restaurant that sits below a bunch for condos for sale. A source tells People that is as all a big rumor and that Kate didn't even know there were apartments for sale in the area. Kate's friends say she'd never choose a place that far away from her Pennsylvania brood.

Jon Gosselin has a two-bedroom apartment at the Alexandria in New York City that he uses as a home base when he's not on daddy duty back in Pennsylvania. It is believed that he is renting. City Realty says that two-bedrooms in the building start at $1.225 million.

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Tags: celebrity real estate, CelebrityRealEstate, gosselins, jon and kate plus 8, jon gosselin, JonAndKatePlus8, JonGosselin, kate gosselin, KateGosselin, maryland, the gosselins, TheGosselins

Folly Quarter Farm, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Folly Quarter Farm in Ellicott City, Maryland is a horse-breeding farm on 54 acres. The rolling hills hold a ten-stall horse barn and five out buildings. The stone manor house was built in 1936 by the owners of Pimlico Race Track. It is over 8000 square feet with six bedrooms and a grand style that includes marble floors, mahogany woodwork and plaster embellished ceilings. A separate guest cottage, pool and tennis court round out the estate. The listing reveals that Folly Quarter Farm was originally part of a 10,000 acre Doughregan Manor Farm owned by Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. This classic horse property is listed at $17 million.

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Gallery: Folly Quarter Farm

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Tags: estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, folly quarter farm, FollyQuarterFarm, horse property, HorseProperty, maryland, maryland real estate, MarylandRealEstate

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Nora Roberts Opens Boutique Hotel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Nora Roberts isn't the first author with her own hotel but she may be one of the most prolific. The popular romance novelist is, with her husband Bruce Wilder, the proud owner of the Inn BoonsBoro in Maryland. The couple bought the old in in 2007 and began fixing it up. But they ran into a snag when the hotel burst in flames in 2008 after a propane tank explosion. Like one of her indomitable heroines, Roberts was not so easily dissuaded from her dream. The hotel has opened this year offering rooms named after fictional couples and decorated in varying styles.

A Jane and Rochester room offers a canopy bed, the Nick and Nora suite is a nod to Art Deco. The rooms are not elaborately tricked out in themes, the decor is more of a subtle acknowledgment of the time period being evoked and you still get a flatscreen television in each room. Each room includes a copy of the book that inspired it and even the bathroom amenities are matched to the couple (for example, Miss Bennett and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice are represented with the scent of English lavender). As you might expect there is also an ample library. The inn has six rooms and two suites and rates start at $220 including breakfast for two.

Gallery: Famous Lover Rooms At The Inn Boonsboro

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Tags: bed and breakfast, BedAndBreakfast, inn, Maryland, nora roberts, NoraRoberts

Private Island In Maryland For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Want your own private island? Taylor's Island is a four and a half acre private, gated island. near Solomons Island in Maryland. The island has a main house, three outbuildings, a pool, hot tub, a pier and a sandy beach and comes with a golf cart for navigating the property. The island is accessible to the mainland over a gated wooden bridge and is also accessible by water and helicopter.

The outbuildings include a two-story observatory or lighthouse which also has a spa, kitchenette, bath and shower. There is also a two-bedroom guesthouse facing the pool. The main house is older and relatively small (2,488 square feet) and includes a deck on the river side. This property is offered for sale at 3.5 million dollars.

[Thanks, Emily]

Gallery: Taylor's Island

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Tags: maryland, private island, private island for sale, PrivateIsland, PrivateIslandForSale, real estate, RealEstate, taylors island, TaylorsIsland

Maryland Condos Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

You can get a great deal on a condo in Maryland at the end of the month. Max Spann Real Estate & Auction Company will be holding the auction of 28 waterfront condominiums at The Residences of River Marsh on Sunday, May 31, 2009, at the Loews Annapolis Hotel. The new two bedroom units at the community in Cambridge, Maryland have minimum bids starting at $75,000, which is over 75 percent off the previous asking prices from $755,685. The Residences at River Marsh complex also has a marina with 150 boat slips, 18 hole championship golf and more. Previews of the properties are happening from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday throughout the month of May.

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Tags: condo auction, CondoAuction, condominium, condos, maryland

Cigar Taxes Biggest Trend Since Smoking Bans

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

Let the madness begin! Following grumblings across the country, more municipalities are starting to jump on the sin tax bandwagon ... and they're targeting us. Maryland, for example, is looking to use tax increases on tobacco (as well as alcohol and payroll) to fund health insurance via the state.

In a bout of much-welcomed civil disobedience, Davidus Cigars in Frederick and Urbana, Maryland, offers a message to his customers on its website: "CAUTION, you are about to enter the government shakedown zone."

The Maryland bill would kick the tax on cigars from 15 percent of the manufacturer's price to 90 percent. Of course, these are not the percentages that consumers would see (as a result of retailer markups), but the impact would be noticeable. Meanwhile, the cigarette tax would increase by 37.5 percent to $2.75. The State of Maryland expects these measures to generate $28 million in tax revenue.

Retailers, of course, are bleak. Davidus owner David Castro believes that the 90 percent tax rate would put him out of business. Proponents of the new expense for cigar smokers are dreaming more optimistic, claiming that cigar industry folks are "Chicken Little crying wolf."

Across the border in Pennsylvania, Governor Ed Rendell's 2009 budget would add another 36 cents per ounce to the tax on loose tobacco and the same amount for every 10 cigars. The tax on cigarettes would move from $1.35 to $1.45.

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Tags: cigar, cigarette, cigarette smoking, cigarettes, CigaretteSmoking, cigars, ed rendell, EdRendell, maryland, pennsylvania, taxes, tobacco, tobacco tax, tobacco use, TobaccoTax, TobaccoUse

Freddie Mac CFO Home On The Market, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

It's been a bad time for mortgage companies and few know that better than Freddie Mac CFO Anthony Piszel. Piszel is having a real estate crisis of his own, the NY Post's Gimme Shelter column reports that he has put his luxury home in posh Easton, Maryland on the market. The home is a Georgian style brick mansion on 4.5 gated acres on Maxmore Creek. It includes guest quarters an inground heated pool with brick patio and detached 3 car garage. There are six bedrooms, six baths, formal dining and living rooms, a cherry-paneled den, game/media room and a kitchen that seems rather basic except for the impressively large range. It is listed at $4.975 million.

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Gallery: Rigby's Lott