real estate

World's Seventh Largest Yacht Raided in Prostitution Bust, Trump Associate Arrested

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth, Crimes and Misdemeanors

The incredible 446-ft. Savarona (above), the seventh largest yacht in the world, was the site of a dramatic helicopter raid by police off the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey the other day. New York-based property developer Tevfik Arif, a sometime business partner of Donald Trump, is being questioned by Turkish police as a suspected organizer of an international ring of high-priced prostitutes that operated on the yacht, Bloomberg reports. Built by Blohm + Voss in 1931 for an American heiress, the superyacht is owned by the Republic of Turkey and was available for charter at $50,000 per day. The lavishly refurbished yacht features accommodations for 34 guests with 260 tons of polished marble, a swimming pool, turkish bath, 282-foot gold-trimmed grand staircase, movie theater, library and helipad. Celebrities who have stayed aboard her include Prince Charles, the Sultan of Brunei, Nicole Kidman, Sharon Stone, Hugh Grant and Tom Cruise.

In addition to Arif, businessmen from Russia and high-level government officials were taken into custody aboard the Savarona by Turkish military police following a seven-month investigation into an international prostitution ring, Bloomberg reports. The men paid $3,000 to $10,000 per night to have sex at sea with Russian and Ukrainian fashion models, some of whom were underage. 10 Russian and Ukrainian women suspected of prostitution were also detained in the operation. When police arrived at the yacht around midday they found everyone in bed. Arif's lawyer Engin Agyuzlu stated that his client is the victim of a "smear campaign" and will "vigorously defend himself in any court of law." Arif is chairman of Bayrock Group LLC, a property group that partnered with the Trump Organization to build the SoHo Hotel Condominium and a Trump Tower in Florida.

UPDATE at 6:00pm ET on May 16, 2012: Tevfik Arif was acquitted of all charges in April 2011, according to The Guardian.

Gallery: The Superyacht 'Savarona'

Source

Tags: Blohm + Voss, crime, Donald Trump, Mediterranean, models, New York, prostitution, real estate, Russia, Savarona, sex, superyacht, Tevfik Arif, Turkey, wealth, yacht

NYC's Stuyvesant Town To Be Sold at Auction

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Real Estate Developments

NYC's Stuyvesant Town To Be Sold at Auction

NYC's behemoth apartment complex Stuyvesant Town will be sold at auction on October 4. A state appeals court ruled against hedge fund manager William Ackman on September 28, paving the way for bondholders to sell the apartment complexes Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village in a foreclosure auction. About 25,000 people live in the 11,277 apartments, which are on the East Side near the FDR Drive between 14th and 23rd Streets.

The ruling denied a request by a joint venture between Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management and Winthrop Realty Trust to reverse a lower court ruling that barred them from elbowing past holders of $3 billion in mortgage bonds to take control of the properties.

Tishman Speyer made news when it bought the 56-building complex for $5.4 billion in 2007 and again when it defaulted on its loans. Read about the complex's long history here and about its financial woes here.

Tags: auction, auctions, New York, New York City, NYC, real estate, Stuyvesant Town, Tishman Speyer, William Ackman

$308 Million Monaco Penthouse Purchased by Abramovich Associate? [UPDATED]

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Wealth

A well-connected Luxist follower has written in to inform us of the identity of the buyer of the record-shattering $308 million Monaco penthouse (above) we just reported on. The new owner of the world's most expensive apartment we're told is Greek billionaire Constantine Alexander-Goulandris, a close friend and business associate of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. According to Wikipedia, the American-born Alexander-Goulandris, 47, who's based in Monaco, is an influential adviser to the Saudi royal family and the emirs of Qatar and Kuwait, as well as the leaders of the UAE and many of the world's largest oil companies.

In addition to Abramovich he's also close to Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin. Though not on Forbes' list of the world's richest people, he's said to be worth an estimated $15 billion thanks to investments in petroleum and energy shipping and real estate, including the Olympic Tower building in NYC. In addition to Monaco Alexander-Goulandris reportedly maintains residences in Paris, London, Antibes, New York and Hawaii. He also owns one of the largest yachts in the world, the Dubai-registered, 279-ft. Delma, and jets around on a Boeing 767 and two Gulfstream G550s.

UPDATE: The buyer was in fact a member of Dubai's royal family; Alexander-Goulandris acted as an adviser - read more here.

Gallery: $308 Million in Monaco

Tags: apartment, Dubai, Lily Safra, Monaco, most expensive, oil, penthouse, real estate, Roman Abramovich, Saudi, UAE, Vladimir Putin, wealth, worlds most expensive

101 Warren Street Sells Out; Last Unit Ekes Out $13.2 Million

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments, Architecture & Design

101 Warren Street Sells Out; Last Unit Ekes Out $13.2 Million

Real estate blog Curbed reported a few days ago that NYC/TriBeCa's 101 Warren Street has finally sold out, after four years, racking up $650 million in sales and becoming the "most successful condominium offering in the history of downtown Manhattan" in the process. Of the 35-story, 227-unit, the last one to sell was Skyhome 3460, a 4,518-square-foot duplex that sits in a glass box atop 101 Warren's granite facade, with uninterrupted views and wraparound terraces. According to StreetEasy, the 4-bedroom/4.5 bath condo was first listed for $15,664,000 in 2006, buying off a floorplan. It lingered, but as the building went up and the boom continued, the price inched up to $16,350,000. Then came the market's fall and with it a price cut to to $15,950,000. The unit was listed in contract in early August and sold a week later for $13,237,250, 15.5% below the original asking price and 19% off the peak price. The buyer is Maryland-based technology entrepreneur Robert Baruch and his wife, Kathy.

Tags: 101 Warren Street, condo, New York, NYC, real estate

$220 Million London Penthouse Now World's Most Expensive

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Real Estate Developments, Wealth

A six-bedroom penthouse at London's posh One Hyde Park development (above) has just sold for a record-breaking £140 million, or about $220 million, making it the most expensive piece of residential real estate in the world (in terms of current listings and sales). The massive deal eclipses the paltry $150 million asking price for The Manor, Candy Spelling's monstrous mansion in Holmby Hills, California, previous holder of the World's Most Expensive title. While the identity of the buyer remains a closely-guarded secret, speculation is centering on oligarchs and oil sheikhs, the London Telegraph reports. The palatial penthouse stretches across two floors and boasts bullet-proof windows, a panic room and stunning views across the Serpentine lake in Hyde Park.

The new owners will also have access to 24-hour room service from the neighboring Mandarin Oriental hotel, spas, squash courts a private wine-tasting facility and protection from security guards who are former members of the SAS, the UK's elite special forces unit. One Hyde Park, which boasts 86 properties starting at around £20 million, is comprised of four hexagonal tower blocks due to be completed by December. Back in 2008 when the project was in its infancy my colleague Deirdre Woollard reported that Sheikh Hamad, the foreign minister of Qatar, had agreed to purchase an apartment there for a rumored £100 million, or around $196 million. More recently we revealed that British supercar maker McLaren will open a luxe new showroom in the development as well. Take a look at the images after the jump.

Tags: Beverly Hills, Holmby Hills, Hyde Park, London, Mandarin Oriental, McLaren, One Hyde Park, penthouse, Qatar, real estate, The Manor, worlds most expensive

Continue reading “$220 Million London Penthouse Now World's Most Expensive”

The Ultimate Car Collector's Crash Pad, Yours for a Cool $35 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Luxury Cars & Autos, Architecture & Design

For a cool $35 million you can get the ultimate car collector's crash pad in Montecito, California, a modernist masterpiece designed to house a world-class collection of 35 cars – that's $1 million per car – in a stunning automotive art gallery. Walls and pillars lined in walnut give way to massive plate glass windows fronting on a sweeping terrace so that the car collection is integrated into life of the house. Of course you also get 15,000-square-feet of living space into the bargain. Designed by architect Steve Hermann and dubbed the Glass Pavilion in homage to the late Philip Johnson, it's set within a 3.5 acre estate of oak groves near to where Al Gore recently spent nearly $9 million on a Mediterranean-style mansion. Other famous neighbors include Oprah WInfrey, Steve Martin, Jeff Bridges and John Cleese. Massive structural steel beams allow for acres of glass that appear to be floating above the rolling lawns. The kitchens and baths are fitted out by famous names such as Varena, Poliform and Antonio Lupi. In each category the "best and most exciting products from around the world" were sourced to make the entire house, which took six years to compete, utterly flawless.

Gallery: Car Collector's Glass Pavilion

[via JamesList]

Tags: Al Gore, architect, architecture, California, car collection, cars, classic cars, estates, Montecito, real estate, Steve Hermann

ClockTower Penthouse Still Not Sold, Could Become Rental

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Architecture & Design

ClockTower Penthouse Still Not Sold, Could Become Rental

We've been hearing delicious rumors about the the triplex penthouse in the Dumbo section of Brooklyn for a while. Earlier this year the NY Post reported that both Ralph Lauren and Jay-Z had been spotted checking out this unusual space which is listed for $25 million. Now there may be a new deal in the works. According to NYC's amNY, the developer is in talks about a possible rent-to-own deal with a prospective taker.

The four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom unit has unobstructed views of the New York Harbor and the Brooklyn Bridge through four, 14-foot glass-faced clocks that are synchronized to all show the same time. Word has it that this 3,200-square-foot apartment could rent easily for $60,000 a month.

Gallery: Clock Tower Building

An earlier version of this story had this space confused with a previous listing in the building. We regret the error.

Tags: Brooklyn, Clocktower, estate, Estate of the Day, real estate

River Valley Ranch, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Auctions

Lovers of the great outdoors should enjoy today's estate, a five-bedroom home in the River Valley Ranch community in Carbondale, Colorado that is being auctioned off on August 26 through Concierge Auctions. The home was originally listed for $1.85 million and no minimum bid is required to participate. The sale is being conducted in cooperation with listing broker and seller Daniel Bruder.

The home has views of Mount Sopris, River Valley Ranch Golf Course and Roaring Fork Valley. River Valley Ranch currently has 43 homes on the market so Bruder decided to go the auction route. The community is designed around the Jay Morrish Championship Golf Course and the Ranch House Swim and Tennis Club. It has over 250 acres of dedicated open space and is home to a conservation area with Bald eagle habitats.

The home was designed by architect Brad Jordan and uses rustic materials like barn wood, interior/exterior rock and knotty alder. The kitchen is surrounded by natural rock, rustic granite and is the centerpiece of the main floor living area. There is a private outdoor deck entered through French doors in the master bedroom. The top floor living area has a private library which offers perfect mountain views.

The onsite auction 4118 Crystal Bridge Drive will be held on Thursday, August 26 at 11 a.m. MDT. Proxy bidding is available, and a 2.5 percent commission is offered to the buyer's broker. For more information visit www.RiverValleyRanchAuction.com or call 866-605-7287.

Gallery: River Valley Ranch

Tags: colorado real estate, concierge auctions, luxury home auction, real estate

Continue reading “River Valley Ranch, Estate of the Day”

Dr. Phil Buys $30 Million Home That Re-Creates the Alamo

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Dr. Phil McGraw and his wife, Robin, have purchased a close to $30 million home in Beverly Hills that re-creates the Alamo. The home, on nearly three acres, features a formal dining room, huge entryway, library/media room, and a great room that combines the living room and kitchen. It totals 15,000 square feet and has five bedrooms, nine full baths, and two half-baths, and there's a giant fountain out front (of course). There's also a guest house above the garage with another bedroom and a full bath, as well as a pool and lighted tennis court. McGraw and his wife not long ago listed their current home for $16.5 million. The listing was with Jana Jones Duffy.

Tags: 30 million, Beverly Hills, celebrity real estate, dr phil, Dr. Phil, estate, real estate

World's Richest Man Buys Duke-Semans Mansion for $44 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Wealth

Mexican telecommunications mogul Carlos Slim, who beat out Warren Buffet and Bill Gates to capture the title of World's Richest Man earlier this year with an astonishing net worth of $53.5 billion, has purchased the stunning Duke-Semans Mansion in New York for a cool $44 million. As we reported back in January, cab driver-turned-fertilizer king Tamir Sapir had listed the palatial townhouse, said to be the only private mansion left on Fifth Avenue, for $50 million. According to the Wall St. Journal, Slim cut the deal to snag it for $6 million less with Sapir directly. Sapir bought the historic seven-story Beaux Arts mansion located across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art from relatives of Doris Duke for $40 million in 2006. The 20,000-square-foot mansion, built in 1901, currently has a doctor's office in the basement, a five-story main residence, a penthouse duplex on top, 12 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, and 11 wood-burning fireplaces.

Gallery: Duke Semans Mansion

Tags: billionaire, Carlos Slim, celebrity real estate, Doris Duke, Duke Semans Mansion, Duke-Semans Mansion, Fifth Avenue, mansion, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Mexico, New York, New York City, real estate, Tamir Sapir, worlds richest man

The Classicist: A Piece of Architectural History in Watch Hill, Yours for $19.5 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, The Classicist, Wealth

Last week The Classicist told you about a historic Hudson River estate being restored to its former glory. That posh property is being thoroughly enjoyed by its new owners, but there's another architectural gem of equally impressive provenance now available with the added bonus of oceanfront acreage – The Timbers in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Set high above the ocean on a picturesque stretch of beach, the majestic eight-acre compound comprises one of the grandest historic oceanfront estates in New England that's still in private hands. The mansion was built in 1917 and designed by celebrated architect John Russell Pope, who created the Jefferson Memorial and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The estate recently underwent a meticulous and historically accurate $10 million restoration, reflecting Pope's original vision. It's now been listed for sale by Christie's Great Estates affiliate Seaboard Properties for $19.5 million.

The opulent 10,500-sq.-ft. main residence was styled after a grand English Tudor manor and features baronial touches such as 15 elegant fireplaces, a magnificent grand staircase and a bell tower. In addition to panoramic ocean views it boasts wide-plank oak floors, wrought-iron chandeliers, archways, and light-filled, generously scaled rooms. The spectacular living room features 35-foot-high cathedral ceilings, exposed English oak beams, and a beautifully crafted wraparound balcony with a carved wooden balustrade. Large French doors on the east side of the living room open to a large covered veranda which features glorious views of the beach and the sounds of the surf as it rolls ashore. At the far end of the veranda, an octagonal dining area features an outdoor woodburning fireplace, wrought-iron chandelier, vaulted ceilings, and archways overlooking the ocean.

Gallery: The Timbers, Watch Hill

Tags: architect, architecture, beach, Christies, Christies Great Estates, historic houses, Jefferson Memorial, John Russell Pope, mansion, ocean, oceanfront, real estate, Rhode Island, Tudor, Washington, Watch Hill

Continue reading “The Classicist: A Piece of Architectural History in Watch Hill, Yours for $19.5 Million”

No Sale After All For $57 Million Hong Kong Apartment

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Last October we heard about a $57 million Hong Kong apartment. The five-bedroom duplex suite in a building called 39 Conduit Road was, at 6,158 square feet, believed to be Asia's most expensive property per square foot. But now the developer, Henderson Land Development Company Limited, says the deal for the penthouse with the harbor views has collapsed. And the same buyer has walked away from five other apartments. The $57 million penthouse was listed as being on the 68th floor but was actually on the 45th, the second tallest in this 46-story building. The top floor was numbered as the 88th, the numbers were used to attract Chinese buyers who are often superstitious about lucky numbers.

The developer created a building of 66 units total ranging from 2,800 to 7,600 square feet. Henderson says a total of 20 deals in the tower have been canceled representing a total of 2.67 billion Hong Kong dollars (nearly $343 million). The failure of the sales are seen as a sign that Hong Kong's real estate market is cooling.

Tags: 39 conduit road, china, hong kong, real estate

Uma Thurman Lists NYC Townhouse at $14.2 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Statuesque actress Uma Thurman has just listed her stunning New York City townhouse for sale at $14.2 million, the RealEstalker reports. Located on a bucolic block of West 9th Street off lower Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village, the elegant 25-ft. wide, five-story, 5,086-sq-ft. pre-war brownstone built c.1900 features seven bedrooms, six-and-a-half baths, and six fireplaces. Described as a "rare and spectacular offering" by Sotheby's International Realty, its centerpiece is a grand, elegant parlor with an oversized bay window at the front and southern sun flooding in from the rear. The dining area overlooks the stylized south garden, which has its own outdoor gas fireplace, and has direct access via a stair from the terrace. The full-floor master suite and sitting area have grand proportions and ample closets. Four additional bedrooms and a full stair to a roof deck complete the upper floors. The garden level has an under-stoop entry, a separate guest apartment and a large family room which opens directly onto the garden. It seems Uma, who has not confirmed ownership of the property, may be downgrading; last summer she purchased a Gramercy Park duplex for $2.65 million.

Gallery: Uma Thurman's NYC Townhouse

Tags: actress, celebrity, celebrity real estate, Fifth Avenue, Greenwich Village, movie star, New York, New York City, real estate, townhouse, Uma Thurman

The Classicist: Rash of New World Records Says "The Rich Are Back"

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, Art, The Classicist, Wealth

Following an incredible number of record-breaking sales of some of the world's most expensive items, from cars to art to watches, diamonds and estates, that have taken place just in the past two weeks, we are hereby making an official declaration: The Rich Are Back. While the economic recovery has been slow to materialize in some quarters, those with the money to make multimillion-dollar purchases are suddenly not shy about dropping the coin. The megabucks deals mean an optimistic outlook has finally taken a firm hold, and the wealthy no longer feel the need to pinch their pennies in the fear that more hard times could be lurking right around the corner. We say it's about time too.

In one hectic twelve-day period, from May 3 to May 14, we saw the record-breaking sales of a $106 million Picasso painting; a $50 million mansion in Bel-Air; a $46 million ranch in Colorado; a $40 million Bugatti; a $32 million Warhol self-portrait; a $26 million Jasper Johns painting; an $18 million Ferrari; an $8 million blue diamond; and a $5 million Patek Philippe chronograph – about $330 million worth of the world's most expensive possessions. The astonishing sales have given an immediate boost to the art, classic cars, real estate and collector's timepieces markets, many of which faltered in the wake of the economic downturn, losing billions of dollars in value. Here's a rundown of the nine history-making deals as they unfolded over the twelve-day whirlwind of wealth disbursement; see the gallery for images:

Gallery: The Return of the Rich

Picasso, <i>Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust</i>

Tags: Andy Warhol, art, auction, Bel-Air, Bootjack Ranch, Bugatti, Chris Evans, Christies, chronograph, classic cars, Colorado, contemporary art, diamond, estates, Ferrari, Ferrari 250 GTO, Jasper Johns, Michael Crichton, Pablo Picasso, Patek Philippe, Picasso, ranch, real estate, The Rich, world record, worlds most expensive

Continue reading “The Classicist: Rash of New World Records Says "The Rich Are Back"”

Emmit Smith Plans Harlem Hotel

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports, Real Estate Developments, Celebrity Design

Emmitt Smith is the marquee name among a group of investors aiming to build a hotel at the corner of Lenox Ave and 125th Street in Harlem. For a portion of the $80 million cost to finance the project they went to the New York City Capital Resource Corporation, run by Mayor Bloomberg. The NYCCRC had $120 million provided by the federal government in order to seed economic development in certain neighborhoods.

Emmitt's group requested $19.5 million, which was all that remains of the original $120 million. This week they were told they have been provisionally awarded the sum pending a full board vote, but with one serious condition: they must begin construction by the end of this year.

There have been many attempts and many promises made when it comes to revitalizing Harlem, and most have remained nothing more than attempts and promises. Assuming the investment group can source the remaining funds, it is said that the hotel will be a Hyatt, joined by retail and cultural establishments such as Whole Foods and a YMCA.

Source

Tags: celebrity hotels, emmitt smith, harlem, hyatt hotel, new york, new york city, real estate

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