virginia real estate

Trump Bids on Patricia Kluge's Virginia Estate

Filed under: Estates, Auctions, Real Estate Developments, Wealth

trump bids on patricia kluge estate The latest wrinkle in Patricia Kluge's dispursal of fortune involves another famed billionaire: Donald Trump. This Wednesday, Trump had two lawyers representing him at the auction of Albemarle House, Kluge's luxe estate on 300 acres in tony Albemarle County, Va.

Shortly before the auction began, Steve Blaine and Les Goldman announced to the crowd of approximately 60 gathered in front of the Albemarle County Courthouse that they represented Donald Trump. What others might not have realized is that Trump had already purchased the adjacent 200 acres which, because of conditions outlined when Kluge gained the property in her divorce, would grant him right of first refusal on Albemare House.

"I think Mr. Trump wanted others to be aware that he was a bidder and he controlled the front yard of the house," said Baine, a Charlottesville, Va. lawyer. "He's a savvy business person but I think any other person with a serious interest in the house would have tried to figure out how to secure those 200 acres first."

Gallery: Patricia Kluge's Albemarle House

Tags: albemarle county, albemarle house, Charlottesville, Donald Trump, Luxury Real Estate, Patricia Kluge, Patricia Kluge Broke, virginia real estate

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Shack Mountain, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

If you love the elegant look of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, today's estate might just next best thing. Shack Mountain was designed by Fiske Kimball, (1888-1955), a an aficionado of Jeffersonian architecture and the first Chair of the University of Virginia's School of Architecture. Completed in 1937, Shack Mountain, Kimball's home, carries many of the hallmarks of Jefferson's architectural ideals. The front of the house is an elongated octagon dominated by a Tuscan portico with paired columns, a shape Jefferson believed ideal for light.

The home is located minutes from downtown Charlottesville and the University of Virginia and protected on one side by the Ivy Creek Natural Area owned by the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County and on another side by an historic estate subject to a conservation easement meaning that Shack Mountain's privacy is ensured in perpetuity. It is on 102 acres that are mostly wooded with open fields to the north and east and lovely mountain views. It has never been for sale on the open market before and guessing at the listing picture of the kitchen I'm guessing some renovations might be needed. But please, dear future owner, be gentle. You wouldn't put granite countertops in Monticello now would you? This home is listed at $4.495 million.

Gallery: Shack Mountain

[Thanks, Spec.]

Tags: Charlottesville, charlottesville virginia, estate of the day, virginia real estate

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Patricia Kluge: Billionaire's Ex-Wife Faces Foreclosure

by Carrie N. Culpepper (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Wine, Real Estate Developments, Wealth, Architecture & Design

Patricia Kluge photos, Patricia Kluge house photos

Patricia Kluge, the 1980s society queen and ex-wife of billionaire media mogul John Kluge, has fallen on some hard times. Kluge was famously awarded the largest divorce settlement in history (a reported $1.6 million a week) but she seems to have figured out a way to spend it – and then some.

She's allegedly in default of nearly $23 million on her gilded mansion in Virginia, which made headlines for its outlandish $100 million price tag when it first hit the market in October 2009. Sotheby's didn't get that asking price, nor the drastically reduced $24 million it was eventually priced at. Instead, on Feb. 16, the 23,538-square-foot home will be auctioned on the Albemarle County courthouse steps.

Kluge's house isn't the only possession she's losing: Her antiques and jewelry have already been auctioned through Sotheby's. Her winery was foreclosed on and its inventory also sold off at auction. On top of that, several lots in the Vineyard Estates subdivision she devised for her property were also auctioned.

The Hook reported that according to court records, Kluge borrowed a whopping $66 million for the house, winery and subdivision.

How could Kluge have blown through her fortune and now lost it all?

Tags: albemarle house, AlbemarleVirginia, Charlottesville, charlottesville virginia, kluge, kluge estates, kluge vineyards, kluge winery, KlugeEstates, patricia kluge, Patricia Kluge broke, vineyard estates, vineyard for sale, virginia real estate, William Moses

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Westham Station Road, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's home is one of the loveliest homes in Richmond, Virginia. Built in the early 1900s, this brick Georgian sits on a five-acre hilltop surrounded by formal gardens, bluestone and brick terraces, a tennis court and a pool with arbor. The traditional architectural details are all here including detailed moldings and built-ins, and a carved staircase. There are large formal rooms, a heart-pine paneled library, cheerful sun room, updated eat-in kitchen with morning room and an inviting family room. Many of the first-floor rooms have French doors that open to the terraces and yard. Upstairs there are five bedrooms and a possible au pair suite. This home is listed at $2,999,950.

Gallery: Westham Station Road

Tags: estate of the day, richmond, virginia real estate

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Great Falls, Virginia, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Luxist reader BW sent us the link for today's home with the words: "This house was designed (inside and out) by the best. So I'm wondering why when you tour it does it make you want to run away from it. Just curious if anyone else gets the same feel about it."

With words like that we knew we had to investigate the grand seven-bedroom home in Great Falls, Virginia. The home was built in 1991 and is over 20,000 square feet. The listing states that the property has been renovated and expanded since its purchase to create a more classical design. Enhancements include the addition of a front entrance portico, a summer porch with an open pergola, a refurbished lower level, an additional five-car garage wing, a stone motor court with staff quarters, an upper level terrace with a Bar-B-Q pit and an outdoor winter fireplace and bar, a pool house with a pool-side bar, evening moon lighting, additional fountains and terraced lawns.

The main level has a two-story reception area with imported Botticino marble flooring, a vaulted ceiling, architectural columns and sculpture niches with recessed lighting. The home also has a library with a gas fireplace, upholstered walls and custom built-in bookcases. The formal dining room is decorated with a commissioned botanical mural and wood-plank floors with a painted octagonal motif. Other rooms include an office, breakfast room, family room, sun room and a master bedroom with a sitting area that was designed to float over the ornamental gardens on the property.

The upper level has five suites and an exercise room. The lower level is for entertainment with a theater, caterer's kitchen, wine tasting room and cellar, an octagonal dance floor, billiard room and a full-sized European bar. The property has a pool house, fountains, a koi pond, pool, pool-side bar and an outdoor kitchen. The decor is a little bit busy (way, way too much floral wallpaper) but for comfort this home ranks pretty high, it's definitely designed for a busy, happy family. This home is listed at $7.65 million.

Gallery: Great Falls, Virginia

Tags: estate of the day, great falls, virginia real estate

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Albemarle House Gets Major Price Cut, Again

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Last month when I wrote about the Kluge winery's financial woes I had to wonder about the fate of Albemarle, Patricia Kluge's lavish home in Charlottesville, Virginia. The home first hit the market for $100 million last year but was reduced to $48 million back in February. Now, that number has been sliced neatly in half. Business Insider led me back to the listing and the new magic number of $24 million.

The estate is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and James Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland. On the grounds there are three ponds, a pool as well as a pool house, log cabin, a greenhouse and several staff cottages. The main house was completed in 1985 and spans over 25,000 square feet with 45 rooms. The home was designed by architect David Easton and his team and includes a theater, library, recreation room with spa and sauna, a card room and an Islamic gallery featuring an antique Syrian fountain. Should you have some leftover cash after buying the home you can turn the front grounds into an 18-hole golf course. Arnold Palmer has already designed it. The home's antiques, art and furniture were sold off at Sotheby's earlier this year in a two-day buying bonanza that brought in $15.2 million. A sale of Patricia Kluge's jewelry brought in around $5 million.

Gallery: Albemarle

Tags: albemarle house, AlbemarleVirginia, Charlottesville Police, kluge winery, patricia kluge, virginia real estate

A "Real Housewife's" Virginia Home, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

I've been long convinced that the "Real Housewives" shows are a real estate agent's dream. Every season on each show at least one of the housewives seems to be selling a home. The latest version, the "Real Housewives of D.C." recently premiered and we've already got our first real estate listing, the home of Rich and Mary Amons. Amons doesn't live in Washington D.C. She and her husband Rich have a large home in McLean, Virginia that is now up for sale.

Their home is a six-bedroom modern Colonial built in 1939. It's been given a renovation and expansion that has brightened and widened the spaces including the open kitchen with a center island. The home is fashionably outfitted with sisal rugs, animal hides and bright pop art. The couple has five children and many of the bedrooms are decorated to reflect the taste and styles of the kids. Other details include a family room with built-ins and floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace and a lovely sunroom that opens out to the patio. The master bedroom suite has a private deck and there is a third level loft with full bath. This home is listed at $2.35 million.

[via Washington Post Surreal Estate]

Gallery: A Real Housewife's Virginia home

Tags: celebrity real estate losers, mary amons, mclean virginia, real housewives of D.C., real housewives of dc, virginia real estate

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Marvin Bush Lists His Alexandria Home

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

George W. Bush's little brother is moving on. The Washington Post reports that Marvin and Margaret Bush have listed their Alexandria, Virginia home. The Post reports that the pair are selling their four-bedroom Beaux-Arts Colonial near Belle Haven Country Club and downsizing into a condo as well as planning to spend more time at their Florida house.

The traditional home is on a 1.4 acre lot and has a guest house with a bedroom, media room and office. The main house was built in 1936 and has 10' ceilings, exquisite moldings and architectural detail. The home includes a large master suite, family room and a garden room overlooking the brick patio. The entrance foyer features a mural that wraps around several walls. The home is listed for $2.9 million with Jeanne Warner, the wife of former Senator John Warner.

Gallery: The Bushes of Alexandria

Tags: alexandria, george w. bush, marvin bush, virginia real estate

Stone Ridge Farm, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Need a lot of room in Virginia but maybe not quite at the Albemarle level? Welcome to Stone Ridge Estate a property on over 2500 acres of land in Concord, Virginia. The main house is a six-bedroom Georgian Colonial Manor home with over 22,000 square feet of space. The home's many amenities include a 6,000 bottle wine cellar with room enough for a formal dining table, a multi-media room, billiards room, arcade, massage area and indoor pool. The property has six guest homes, with 21 bedrooms total. There is also a 20 stall barn with wash stall, feed room & tack room, indoor and outdoor tennis courts and swimming pools, a bowling alley, shooting gallery, softball field and a sports complex. The sports complex is designed for a crowd, it has a commercial kitchen and dining for 50 or more. It's listed currently as price on request but other spots on the internet show it at $17.5 million.

Gallery: Stone Ridge Farm

Tags: concord, estate of the day, stone ridge, virginia real estate

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Bellapais, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

George Washington slept here. Well, not actually but the land this estate sits was once part of George Washington's River Farm. The 25-acre estate has river views and is the largest remaining private estate on the Potomac. The home was originally built during the mid 19th century and then expanded over time. In 2001, it had a complete renovation.The stately brick home has six bedrooms. Not a lot of interior pics on this one but it seems like a nicely kept elegant home. It is listed at $9.75 million. After the jump, a country home for a senator perhaps?

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Tags: alexandria, estate of the day, luxury real estate, virginia real estate

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Dover Hall, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Dover Hall, the home of entrepreneur Dennis Pryor, was no quick build. This 30,000 square-foot home took over five years to create. The country estate is located in the Virginia enclave of Manakin-Sabot on 55 acres of land. The home has the look of a Tudor manor and is home to a wide variety of antiques including a 19th century French iron chandelier, an 18th century gothic entrance door, vintage fireplace mantels, vintage chandeliers and all sorts of other touches that help give the new home an older feel.

The home was still construction in 1999 when the Wall Street Journal talked to Pryor about the construction of the 30-foot-by-60-foot catering kitchen which would be connected to the home's formal kitchen by an elevator and a staircase. Pryor was also profiled in 2006 in the Virginia Business magazine talking about his wine cellar, a dark stone room that features racks of wine, behind glass doors facing a unique dining area.

Most homes have bedrooms, this one has named suites, each with a distinctive style. There is an Edwardian suite, an Arts and Crafts suite with William Morris printed wallpaper, a Victorian suite, a Renaissance suite and of course an impressive master bedroom that includes two level his and hers dressing chambers with bathrooms. The basement area include a portrait gallery, pub bar, the wine cellar, a tap room, lounges and a ballroom. This home is listed at $11.5 million ($14 million including all the furnishings). After the jump, fit for a modern king.

[Thanks, Shawn]

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Tags: dennis pryor, DennisPryor, dover hall, estate of the day, luxury real estate, virginia real estate

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