Luxury Real Estate

Courtesy of Michael Edlund, Director of Technology at Luxury Real Estate

We have been hard at work this season adding features to our Luxury Lounge. Our latest feature? Now you can track the leads that come to you from LuxuryRealEstate.com, highlighting one of the many values of LRE membership for our members.

From now on, agents will now be able to see their own leads, and member administrators will be able to see all leads within the company account. Over time, we will be adding additional functionality to this feature, so stay tuned for updates.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Courtesy of Frederick Peters, President of Warburg Realty

The end of the year is always a time for reflection. Here is my list of some of the events and issues which made a real impression on me or our business in 2011:

1. Unbelievable real estate purchases, primarily by Russian oligarchs. These included the $40 million sale of a 4,000 square foot apartment at 15 Central Park West to Taiwanese tycoon Min Kao; the approximately $88 million pending sale of Sandy Weill’s 6,000 square foot apartment in another part of the same building to 20-something Russian fertilizer heiress Yekaterina Rybolovleva and her father Dmitry; and the $220 million sale of the penthouse at One Hyde Park, in London, purchased by Ukrainian billionaire Rinat Akhmetov. This provided an interesting context to one of the year’s great ongoing soap operas, the London litigation between Russians Roman Abramovich and Boris Berezovsky, which has provided a fascinating and appalling look into just how some of those fortunes were made.

2. The freak October snowstorm. Central Park was devastated by the loss of tree limbs as a result of the huge snowfall on trees which has not yet lost their leaves. A tragedy for all New Yorkers who depend on the beauty of the Park to keep us sane!

3. The Euro meltdown. The United States, a nation of immigrants, had been banded together for over a century before we attempted a Federal income tax, which is still contentious a century later! How could anyone expect that the Eurozone countries, which have been at war with each other on and off for millennia and have such distinct and antipathetical cultural identities, would band together and bail each other out easily when the economic lifting got heavy. We certainly have not seen the last chapter on this one.

4. China. Their manufacturing economy slowed. Their high handed internal governance is provoking more and more pushback from an increasingly informed and prosperous populace. They are our major bondholder. And they have a major appetite for New York City condominiums though not, like the Russians, of the $40 million variety. They prefer prices under $2 million, and they may buy several. We have learned that you may have to go to them, but their interest in investing in our coastal cities is as vast as their country.

5. Landmarked districts in New York City. A great idea gone a little awry. No one believes more than I in the preservation of our city’s diverse and gorgeous architectural heritage. But when sweeping districts begin to include gas stations and tenement buildings, something is not right. The population of our city is growing and we will continue to need sites for development. It is fair neither to the owners of the real estate nor the potential users of the more effectively deployed sites to bar them from development when there is no possible reason to preserve them.

6. Shadow inventory. There was a lot of talk a few years back about how all the condo inventory available in the city when the recession began would hang over the real estate market for years to come. It was always my feeling that absorption would bounce back and the big issue for us would be LACK of supply, not oversupply. And here we are! Buyers are snapping up that “shadow inventory” all over town, while the few new projects under construction, like Toll Brothers’ new building on 65th and Lexington, are selling briskly from plans while the buildings are still a year away from completion!

There’s more…but those are today’s highlights. With that I am signing off till 2012, and wishing all of my readers a wonderful holiday season!

You can read more on www.warburgrealty.com/blog.

Courtesy of Kirsty Bryson of Luxury Homes by VAPF

Called “El Gordo”, which literally means “The fat one”, the whole country comes to a standstill every 22^nd of December, glued to the TV screen or the radio, wishing for their number to be called out by one of the children on stage, boosting their bank accounts and turning many instantly into millionaires. This date is symbolically the start of the Christmas festivities, the last day at school for the kids for that year and for many workers also their last day at their job until the New Year.

With a top prize this year of 4 million euros, the 40 children chosen to “sing” out the winning numbers always proceed from the San Idelfonso School, a government subsidized boarding school for children whose families have socio-economic difficulties, the majority of which are immigrants. They spend months preparing for what is to be their big day and their voices have become the most famous soundtrack in the country.

The Spanish lottery was instituted by King Carlos III in 1763, and Spain has been hooked ever since. Not even the Civil War managed to get in the way of "El Gordo" - in fact, during the war there were two national lotteries, one on either side of the front lines. Tickets go on sale in July with 85,000 numbers issued for each of the 185 series. Each whole ticket (priced at 200 €) is then further sub-divided into décimos – a tenth part of a whole ticket- which is what most people settle for. Often, these décimo tickets are split into even smaller shares, divided between friends, workmates or relatives. In total, more than 157 million décimo tickets are on sale.

All in all, 2,520 million euros will be handed out in 25.5 million prizes, so it’s no wonder that the average Spaniard will spend around 100 euros on lottery tickets for this famous draw! Fingers will be crossed at the Grupo VAPF head offices as we all hope for a great start to our annual Xmas holidays!

Merry Christmas to you all and our best wishes for 2012!

Courtesy of Epoch Times

Luxury Real Estate partner Epoch Times supports Shen Yun Performing Arts. Shen Yun performances celebrate 5,000 years of divinely inspired Chinese culture. After more than 60 years of Communist rule in China, and especially after the Cultural Revolution, Chinese traditional culture has been all but completely demolished. However, the deeper spiritual core of the ancient culture, with its values of benevolence, honor, propriety, wisdom, and sincerity, as well as a reverence for the gods and the heavens, cannot be destroyed.

Shen Yun presents colorful and exhilarating performances of classical Chinese dance and music. A performance by Shen Yun is a presentation of traditional Chinese culture as it once was: a study in grace, wisdom, and the virtues distilled from the five millennia of Chinese civilization. Every year, Shen Yun unveils an entirely new lineup of dances, songs, and musical scores. At the core of Shen Yun’s performances is classical Chinese dance with China's numerous ethnic and folk dance styles rounding out the evening.

In a collection of short pieces, audiences travel from the Himalayas to tropical lake-filled regions; from the legends of the culture’s creation over 5,000 years ago through to the story of Falun Dafa in China today; from the highest heavens down to the dusty plateaus of the Middle Kingdom. Tenors, sopranos and other award-winning vocalists perform piano-accompanied solos, along with a regular favorite—the stirring melodies of the two-stringed erhu, also known as the Chinese violin.

Shen Yun’s one-of-a-kind orchestra, with its all-original compositions, blends East and West like no other. The distinctly Chinese sound of ancient instruments like the erhu and the pipa are bathed in a rich sea of Western strings, percussion, woodwinds, and brass. The result—two great classical music traditions producing one fresh, unexpected sound complimented by animated backdrops which transport the audience to another world.

"So inspiring, I think I may have found some ideas for the next Avatar movie." —Robert Stromberg, Academy Award-winning production designer for Avatar

"A mesmerizing performance." —Donna Karan, fashion designer and creator of the Donna Karan New York (DKNY) clothing line.

For more information please visit. http://www.shenyunperformingarts.org/reviews

Courtesy of Frederick Peters, President of Warburg Realty

Over the last fifteen years, all our lives have been revolutionized by technology in ways we could not even have imagined when the Internet (or World Wide Web as it was known in those days) first came onto the horizon. Business has been profoundly transformed by the transparency inherent in full access for everyone to information about anything. We have had to keep up, as best we could, as change races ahead of us. We are challenged by change not only to stay current but also to sort through its myriad directions and promises to determine what we believe in, what works for us. In other words, one of the greatest challenges of the new millennium has been to embrace change without sacrificing our identities to it. This process, every day and every week, profoundly engages me, my agents and staff.

How do you redefine yourself while remaining true to the values which you most believe in? I think each of us has a different answer, but I can tell you mine, and with it the vision I embrace for Warburg.

First, I believe you have to build on the bedrock of who you are and what you know your values to be. More than anything else I want Warburg to be a values based company. I want us to be known for doing not only the smart thing, but also the right thing. I want us to believe in and support each other, to believe that a success for each of us is a success for us all. And I want us all to remember that, although we are here to make money, money is not always the most important thing. Pride in ourselves and what we represent, in our companies and our communities, both bring success and enable us to savor it.

Second, I believe that we need to embrace the future while honoring the past. We have an extraordinary history as a company going back almost 120 years; each of us should be proud to be a carrier of that tradition and to embrace what remains best about it. At the same time, we need to understand that some traditions need updating. Print ads gave way to online ads, phone appointments to e-mail appointments, cocktail parties to Facebook. Who today can imagine not having a BlackBerry or an iPhone? In three years everyone will feel the same way about tablets. An e-blast reaches more people in seconds than a mailing could in days or weeks. Blogs define the writer as an expert, a go-to person, in a way that has no precedent in the pre-Web 2.0 era. So we need to be thinking, not “how have I done up until now?” but “how do I see my place in the future, and what steps do I need to take to realize that vision?” Our only successful direction is forward.

Finally, I believe every one of us has a role to play. The vast majority of you will not have your names read this year as having been one of the top earners in your office. So I would like to address this third category to you. There are many ways to be a significant member of our Warburg family. Perhaps you are a great recruiter, spreading the word about what a terrific place Warburg is to work (believe me, we need as many of YOU as possible.) Perhaps you always have great ideas about listings when your colleagues are trying to figure out what to show. Maybe you just brighten everyone’s day a little by saying hello. While we are a business, and we need to function like a business, we are also a little world, and it takes all kinds of skills and personalities to make that world go around. So I honor you all, those who have made a million dollars and those who have not, those of you whose careers are ramping up and those of you who may be slowing down – you are all threads in the fabric of Warburg’s vibrant, evolving tapestry and you have my deep gratitude and respect.

You can read more on www.warburgrealty.com/blog.

Courtesy of Round Hill Partners

Joann Erb, co-founder and vice president of Round Hill Partners in Greenwich, Connecticut, represented the buyer of a $32 million dollar mid-country home just 2.1 miles from the sought-after village center. The 14,000-square-foot luxury home is sited on 14.48 acres and includes a pool house, wine cellar, home theater, sweeping meadow-like grounds, incredible gardens, stables with groom quarters, and bridle/walking paths.

Round Hill Partners is a privately owned, locally established real estate boutique, deeply rooted in New England’s Gold Coast town of Greenwich, Connecticut. Established in 1994, the firm is well known for its unparalleled personal service and intelligent market analysis for buyers and sellers of luxury real estate in and around Greenwich. Round Hill Partners is a hand-selected member of the global network of Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate.

Courtesy of Allende Properties

Considering Mexico? Consider San Miguel de Allende!

-Located 3 hours drive from Mexico City, in the geographic center of the country. 6,000 ft. above sea level. Year round temperate climate.
-80,000 residents with approximately 8,000 expatriates
-Designated a National Treasure by Mexico in 1969 and— *UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 for its "outstanding universal value" in the preservation of the Baroque Colonial architecture and the sophistication of cultural activities such as music and theater. *Charming, with cobblestone streets, classic main square, and exquisite architecture. (see church photo to follow)
-Diverse restaurants, world class cuisine—and great shopping!
-5 Star Hotels and World Class Resorts
-Rated # 4 city in the world by Travel and Leisure in 2010. It has been rated within the top cities in the world/in the Americas for many years. ( see link below)

As if you need more reasons, here are just a couple more ideas for things to do in San Miguel de Allende:

-Nick Faldo Signature 18 hole golf course,
-Art and Art Schools, Thermal spas, horseback riding.
-Archeological Exploration of nearby Pyramid
-Music and Film Festivals.
-English readily spoken.

Getting there:

-Nearby international airport in Mexico City—Allende Properties can send a shuttle or private driver. (Other Airports in Leon Guanajuato BJX with international connections and in Queretaro (QRO)—Each are about 1 1/2 hours away and transportation can be arranged.)

Courtesy of Nick Pratt, Slater Anderson, and Keith Ross, Project Managers in LandVest’s Real Estate Consulting Group, specializing in in all aspects of land transactions

When the housing bubble burst and credit markets tightened most land developers retreated to the sidelines or closed up shop. This created opportunities for public agencies and land trusts to acquire land for conservation purposes. Supply and demand dynamics for land conservation versus land development are often countercyclical. When demand for developable land is strong, land values are high and it is difficult – and more expensive – for conservation buyers to compete. When development pressure is soft – as it has been for the last three years in many locations in the US – land values are lower and there is less competition from developers. As a result, public agencies and non-profits have emerged as some of the most active buyers of land today, largely because of access to public funding approved in previous years and an increase in private philanthropy that supports the conservation of natural resources.

Landowners currently have a unique opportunity to maximize the value of their property and to see their land protected in perpetuity. This can be done through an outright sale of the land or through the sale of conservation easements or agricultural preservation restrictions to conservation groups, public agencies or municipalities. New funding sources have been established to encourage these conservation acquisitions. For example, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has created a funding program for Landscape level projects with multiple projects exceeding 500 acres or more. The program will pay half the cost of the acquisition plus a portion of eligible expenses. In addition, the Commonwealth has established a tax credit for gifts and bargain sales up to $50,000 per transaction.

LandVest has represented multiple landowners in the planning and sale of land for conservation. When LandVest is engaged conservation buyers know that they have a singular opportunity to get a deal done before the property is sold for other purposes. With land conservation deals appearing to be at an all-time high, landowners can benefit from experienced advisors who know how to negotiate on their behalf and facilitate these kinds of transactions. Recent LandVest projects include:

• 24 acres in Weymouth, Massachusetts: Representing the largest undeveloped tract of land left in the town, with sweeping views to Boston and the North Shore. Elected officials unanimously voted for the acquisition of the property which was purchased for full market value, $1,850,000, in August 2011. From start to finish the acquisition process took less than 4 months.

• 228 acres in Ipswich, MA: The Trust for Public Land working in coalition with the town , the state and Essex County Greenbelt, purchased a Conservation Easement and Agricultural Preservation Restriction for $5,100,000 on one of the largest privately owned agricultural estates off Argilla Road. – April 2011

• 80+ acres in Rowley, MA Representing a critical inholding within the 8,000+ acre Great Marsh on Boston’s North Shore. The Massachusetts Audubon Society was the buyer. Price: $2,370,00083+ acres in Sherborn, MA purchased by the Sherborn Rural Land Foundation for conservation. Price : $1,500,000 – June 2011

• 115+/- acres in Narragansett, RI: Purchased by The Nature Conservancy and US Fish and Wildlife Service. Installment purchase occurring in 2011 and 2012.

• LandVest provided consulting services to a major forest landowner in northern California to design and market a CR over forestlands in excess of 8,200 acres with a market value of more than $8.4 million. Funding will be from a combination of public funds and private philanthropy. – Dec 2010

• LandVest provided advisory services to a landowner in Sandisfield, MA, who made a gift of a CR over 1,238 acres of forest and farmland valued in excess of $1.2 million to the New England Forestry Foundation, the third largest CR gift in Mass history and the largest in more than 35 years. – Dec. 2010

• A conservation restriction on 155 acres of religious order lands in Petersham, MA purchased by a partnership between the Town and the East Quabbin Land Trust for $400,000 was facilitated by LandVest using a combination of public funding and private philanthropy. – June 2010

Courtesy of Melanie Magras of Sibarth Real Estate

It is with great pleasure that we bring you the 2011-2012 electronic edition of our Brochure, presenting a selection of properties for sale this season.

The primary objective of this publication is to underscore the variety and quality of the properties we represent as well as the professionalism and the wide range of services we are proud to offer.

It is an important event for us and I wanted to share that with you:

http://issuu.com/sibarthrealestate/docs/sibarthrealestatesalesbrochure20112012?mode=window&viewMode=doublePage

We hope that you will like it!

Courtesy of Bruce Hiatt of Luxury Realty Group

Luxury Realty Group presents the Las Vegas real estate market report for October 2011. This video report includes Las Vegas luxury foreclosures and short sales for luxury high rise condos and luxury homes.