Luxury Real Estate

Courtesy of Brad Miller of the Goodale Miller Team at Century 21 Fine Homes & Estates

Bordered to the south by Upper Middle Road, to the north by Dundas Street, to the west by Bronte Creek Provincial Park, and to the east by Bronte Road, in less than 10 years the Bronte Creek community has grown from the former Richview Golf Club site into one of Oakville’s most desired addresses.

Goodale Miller Team members and Bronte Creek residents Murray McKeage and Andrew Kaye walk their talk where Bronte Creek Real Estate is concerned. “The thing that’s nice about Bronte Creek is ‘access’ ”, Murray says. “You’re seven minutes from the Bronte GO station, and five minutes to the 407 and 403 (QEW) highways. Our area is serviced by one new public school, called Palermo, which was built 2 years ago. It’s walking distance to everyone in Bronte Creek. They’re building a brand new Catholic elementary school, as we speak, which will be ready for September 2012. A new high school is also being built in nearby West Oak Trails, and it is also set to open in September of this year. It’s just a great family community. Quiet. Our neighbourhood is surrounded by a ravine, with probably 15 kms of walking trails and protected pathways.”

Shopping is convenient too! “We’ve got a lot of east/west shopping possibilities, because of the location”, Murray says. “Our family does our primary shopping at Appleby and Dundas, which is in Burlington. You name it, it’s all right there… from groceries and hardware, to dentists and other professional services.”

Andrew has lived in the community for 5 years, and points out that while he’s “not personally fond of ‘new’ neighbourhoods in general, this particular new neighbourhood is an exception because, when they mapped it out, they left large swaths of forest. In most new neighbourhoods everything’s been razed and there are no big trees anywhere. There’s not really any nature preserve. In Bronte Creek you see trees behind the houses that are taller than the houses. You don’t have to walk far to get hidden in the forest! If you like to exercise and go for walks, you’re not forced to walk around residential streets. You can actually go and enjoy a relatively unspoiled, natural environment, which I think is quite unique for a new community.”

Bronte Creek Provincial Park has your recreational needs covered also, with year-round activities including skating, fishing, swimming, camping and more. In fact, their annual Maple Syrup Festival begins March 3^rd.

Resale family homes are currently selling between $550k and $1.5 million, while townhomes sell between $400k and $900k. Monarch and Fernbrook Homes are busy building new inventory for families.

Let us know if you like to explore the Bronte Creek lifestyle with your family!

Visit the GoodaleMiller Blog.

Courtesy of Scott Beaver of Weidel Realtors

New Hope, PA – Weidel Realtors is pleased to announce that their float entry in the 2012 New Hope-Lambertville Winter Festival parade received the first prize blue ribbon for their theme based on the Harry Potter series of books and movies. Erected on the back of a 1947 Dodge flatbed truck and enhanced by costumed agents and staff from the New Hope-Lambertville office, this marks the 5^th year in a row that Weidel has taken top honors. Previous winning entries included “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory”, “Under The Big Top”, “Storybook Fantasy” and “Disney/Pixar’s UP”.

Photo: Weidel New Hope-Lambertville winning float entry, “Harry Potter”

Started in the late 1990’s to increase tourist traffic during winter months, the New Hope-Lambertville Winter Festival is now a large celebration attended by scores of people from around the world. The event provides a healthy, invigorating, cold-weather experience in two scenic river-town communities, hosting over thirty events besides the parade. Mummers String Bands, marching bands and other musicians bring a festive energy along with the many local organizations, schools and sports teams’ creative and detailed floats as they march across the river from New Hope-Solebury High School down Bridge Street into Lambertville.

"Weidel New Hope-Lambertville has always supported the Winter Festival and our communities,” said Pam Moore, Sales Director. “We enjoyed meeting all those who attended the festival and enjoyed being a part of such a vibrant event!”

Weidel New Hope-Lambertville can help with any and all real estate needs. For more information, please contact the office at 1-800-723-6995 or visit online at www.Weidel.com.

Founded in 1915, Richard A. Weidel Corporation, Realtors is the premier company providing guaranteed quality service to clients and customers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The Weidel Corporation is a full-service real estate organization offering mortgage services, homeowners and title insurance, national relocation services, and a real estate pre-licensing school. Visit thousands of homes for sale at www.weidel.com.

Courtesy of TRI Coldwell Banker Previews International

TRI Coldwell Banker Previews International has listed the previous home of Tim Lincecum, starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. The 2,790 square foot listing in San Francisco is on the market for $1,795,000.

For an article about it on SocketSite, click here.
For an article on Curbed San Francisco by Sally Kuchar, click here.

Courtesy of Ilya Moshenskiy of Ilya’s Photography

I worked with exclusive clientele on this special project to showcase the structure of some of the best clothing fabric on the planet. I took product photos of luxury Italian clothing brands including Kiton, Canali, Isaia and Ermenegildo Zegna. On the morning of December 12th at 6:30 am I grabbed a cup of coffee and started to setup my studio. This type of project required me to set up the lighting in an entirely different way so I can capture the smallest of details in the fine fabric. I set up my Profoto light boxes along with Elinchrom fiber optics lighting and decided to go with my Canon 5D mark II with a Tilt-Shift 90mm lens. I got a great feel for these handmade Italian garments which allowed me to really show the attention to detail and focus on quality that is put into each garment. Like president Massimo Bizzocchi of Kiton said "You got to keep the fiber alive." I'm not sure how many cups of coffee I had by the end of the day to finish the project. It was truly a pleasurable experience using my craft to represent such fine garments on print.

Kiton
Canali
Isaia
Ermenegildo Zegna

Courtesy of Jim Walberg of Keller Williams Realty

The Tobin Clark Estate was completed in 1931, designed by the re-nown architect, David Adler. Upon completion, the Estate was filled with interior decor by Syrie Maugham (wife of Somerset Maugham), paintings by Van Dyke and Sir Joshua Reynolds, Queen Anne paneling, eighteenth century Chinese wall coverings, a rare Dubois writing table and over two hundred other items sent from England and the Continent were selected by Syrie Maugham. Celia Tobin Clark learned about Syrie’s legendary interior decorating from a dear friend in Chicago. Syrie is credited for designing the first all-white room. At the Estate, The Music Room, is a perfect example of her work using ‘white’ as the primary color.

At the Estate, Syrie’s crowning glory were the Music Room and the Library. The Music Room, which is 55 feet long and is crowned by 15 foot ceilings with exquisite three dimensional decorations, features antique parquet-de-Versailles floorings, triple gold-gilt moldings, matching fireplaces, Bay Windows and French doors leading to the Grand Terrace was an example of her extraordinary work. You will notice that it has all shades of white.

The Library is where she brought in dramatic colors of green. As you walk into The Library you discover pine carving attributed to Grinling Gibbons, woodcarver to St. Paul’s Cathedral under Sir Christopher Wren, and matching eighteenth-century pine bookcases. This room is featured in Helen Comstock’s “100 Most Beautiful Rooms in America.” And, as you peruse the book you will find several of the rooms listed were designed by Syrie Maugham.

Born in London in 1879, Syrie opened a shop on Baker Street in 1922. As her reputation exploded, she took on interior decorating projects in Palm Beach and California. The expansion of her design business caused her to open shops in Chicago and New York. The prices for her pieces were high. Victor Afia is credited for say, “She knew what she could get away with. It wasn’t the stuff so much as her talent she was charging for.” And, Celia Tobin Clark spent a fortunate over the next several years with Syrie as her guide. In the 1930’s Syrie would say to Celia, “If you don’t have $10,000 to spend today don’t bother.”

Furniture was Syrie’s specialty. As you wander through the Tobin Clark Estate, your breath will be taken away with the French provincial antiques and accessories from all over the Continent, plus her own designs. Each of them receiving the ‘Syrie treatment’. They were pickled or stripped, painted, or finished with a secret craquelure technique. “Cut it down and paint it white,” she would order her craftsmen.

The extraordinary rooms she designed and decorated influenced almost every interior designer, the most notable being – de Wolfe, Jean-Michel Frank and Frances Elkins. However, after Syrie closed her shop in New York in 1932, it was Rose Cumming who offered the finest tribute from them all. It was suggested that Rose take on filling the white furniture gap left behind by Syrie’s exit. Rose said, “No, white was always Syrie’s.

Syrie Maugham’s interior design has lived on for more than sixty years at the Tobin Clark Estate. The Hillsborough Mansion with the unassuming name “House-on-Hill”, is still regarded as one of the most spectacular private residences ever created, and one that is certainly without peer in its fine antique English Cotswold style. Once in a lifetime one is able to acquire a true architectural masterpiece. That opportunity has now arrived.

For a private viewing of this 35,000 square foot mansion nestled on 6-acres, and host to Presidents and World Leaders, CONTACT US TODAY. Only fully qualified buyers need to inquire. The Estate is offered for sale at $29,000,000. Until next time…Jim Walberg.

Listing representation of the Tobin Clark Estate has been awarded to a consortium of Brokerages, each chosen for their unique expertise and experience: Keller Williams Realty International, Today Sotheby’s International Realty, Engel & Volkers, and Alain Pinel Realtors.

Courtesy of Jim Walberg of Keller Williams Realty

The Tobin Clark Estate was considered one of architect David Adler’s finest works during the height of his stunning career. He was designing homes during what is still called the era of “the great American house”, between 1911 to 1949. In the 1920s, Mrs. Celia Tobin Clark, an heiress to the Hibernia Bank fortune, commissioned David Adler to create a Cotswold Tudor Mansion on a secluded hilltop of some four hundred acres just south of San Francisco. Her husband was the owner of the Montana Mining Company. The Tudor – Costwold influence is present in the exterior, but the interior is an amazing array of styles. And, it somehow all works. I am sure he had a unforgettable time designing the home in the exclusive San Francisco Bay Area community of Hillsborough. At one time, the 35,000-square-foot home rested upon 400 acres. It now is situated on the remaining secluded six acres of the original estate.

David Adler graduated from Princeton in 1904. And, similar to our oldest son, after graduation Adler travelled extensively in Europe studying all of its varied architectural styles. He returned to the United States in 1911 and began his illustrious architectural career. In the late 1920’s Celia Tobin Clark contacted Adler with her dream of building a Cotswold mansion. She was very involved in every aspect of the design and the building of her breathtaking estate. Because of Adler’s time spent in Europe, he loved the building materials and the craftsmen of the Continent. The description of what Adler created can only be appreciated by a firsthand tour. It is a gift to spend a day at the estate and noticing every little detail of what has been created.

For example, as you enter the hand carved front door you are standing in the gallery with a floor that is marble, laid without mortar, point to point, to create a deep pattern of optical illusion. The walls are dowel-joined Jacobean paneling, purchased through Stair and Andrew in London. Eighteenth-Century English oak surrounds the gentleman’s cloak room, where special shallow cupboards were fashioned to hold shaving mugs. For the master sitting room, the owner and architect chose oak paneling, circa 1724, from Royal House Cononley; and the chandelier, constructed a few years later, is Waterford, purchased from a descendant of the actor Edmund Kean. Pine carving attributed to Grinling Gibbons, woodcarver to St. Paul’s Cathedral under Sir Christopher Wren, and matching eighteenth-century pine bookcases grace to library, which is featured in Helen Comstock’s 100 Most Beautiful Rooms in America.

For more than sixty years, the Hillsborough Mansion with the unassuming name “House-on-Hill” has been cited as one of the most spectacular private residences ever created, and one that is certainly without peer in its fine antique English style. After its construction, full-grown trees were transplanted from as far away as the Monterrey Peninsula, rose terraces and formal courtyards were laid out amid the oak groves and lawns, and multiple-trunk olive trees were pruned to dip low over matching reflecting pools set in a stone terrace. Completely by hand, an architectural treasure was built – all mellowed brick, Carmel stone and half timbers on the outside, with 35,000 square feet of honey-colored woods, silver, crystal, leaded glass and four hundred year old parquetry on the inside.

It has been written that for several years prior to building the Mansion, Mrs. Clark had been collecting ideas, clippings, photographs and other inspirations for her home. And it is known that during its somewhat lengthy construction, the estate pulled many local laborers and one failing planning mill right through the Depression. In two years alone, more than one million dollars was poured into the local economy, and at least three area firms were spared from bankruptcy. Once in a lifetime an estate of this magnitude becomes available for sale. That opportunity has now arrived. The Mansion is priced at $29,000,000. For further information contact Jim Walberg. Until next time…

Listing representation of the Tobin Clark Estate has been awarded to a consortium of Brokerages, each chosen for their unique expertise and experience: Keller Williams Realty International, Today Sotheby’s International Realty, Engel & Volkers, and Alain Pinel Realtors.

Courtesy of Jim Walberg of Keller Williams Realty

For more than sixty years, the Tobin Clark Estate, Hillsborough Mansion with the unassuming name “House-on-Hill” has been cited as one of the most spectacular private residences ever created in the San Francisco Bay Area in its fine antique English style. And, it has been the host to every U.S. president since Richard Nixon. Some of the world leaders that have stayed at the Tobin Clark Estate since 1990 are, Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush, as well as King Hussein and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

In the 1920s, Mrs. Celia Tobin Clark, an heiress to the Hibernia Bank fortune, commissioned architect David Adler to create a Cotswold Tudor Mansion on a secluded hilltop of some 400 acres just south of San Francisco. Full-grown trees were transplanted from as far away as the Monterey Peninsula, rose terraces and formal courtyards were laid out amid the oak groves and lawns, and multiple-trunk olive trees were pruned to dip low over matching reflecting pools set in a stone terrace. Completely by hand, an architectural treasure was built.

Upon completion in 1931, the home was filled with interior decor by Syrie Maugham (wife of Somerset), paintings by Van Dyke and Sir Joshua Reynolds, Queen Anne paneling, eighteenth century Chinese wall coverings, a rare Dubois writing table and over two hundred other items sent from England and the Continent. With a prized view overlooking San Francisco’s Lower Bay and the rolling landscape far to the west, ‘House-on-Hill’ now rests on a more manageable six acres, without the original Adler-designed sixteen-stall stables, ten-car garage and “laundry group”. Little else, though, has been sacrificed, and the house remains quietly tucked away behind the espaliered magnolias and majestic pines of a cherished Hillsborough setting.

In the gallery, the floor is marble, laid without mortar, point to point, to create a deep pattern of optical illusion. The walls are dowel-joined Jacobean paneling, purchased through Stair and Andrew in London. Eighteenth-Century English oak surrounds the gentleman’s cloak room, where special shallow cupboards were fashioned to hold shaving mugs. For the master sitting room, the owner and architect chose oak paneling, circa 1724, from Royal House Cononley; and the chandelier, constructed a few years later, is Waterford, purchased from a descendant of the actor Edmund Kean. Pine carving attributed to Grinling Gibbons, woodcarver to St. Paul’s Cathedral under Sir Christopher Wren, and matching eighteenth-century pine bookcases grace the library, featured in Helen Comstock’s one 100 Most Beautiful Rooms in America.

The Tobin Clark Estate is now available for sale offered at $29 million. For a private tour of the estate CONTACT US today – only fully qualified Buyers. Until next time…Jim Walberg

Listing representation of the Tobin Clark Estate has been awarded to a consortium of Brokerages, each chosen for their unique expertise and experience: Keller Williams Realty International, Today Sotheby’s International Realty, Engel & Volkers, and Alain Pinel Realtors.

Courtesy of Jim Walberg of Keller Williams Realty

The Tobin Clark Estate: Maybe once in a lifetime one is able to acquire a true architectural masterpiece. That opportunity has just arrived in Hillsborough, California. For more than sixty years, the Hillsborough Mansion with the unassuming name “House-on-Hill” has been cited as one of the most spectacular private residences ever created in its fine antique English style. In the 1920s, Celia Tobin Clark, an heiress to the Hibernia Bank fortune, commissioned architect David Adler to create a Cotswold Tudor Mansion on a secluded hilltop of some 400 acres just south of San Francisco. Full-grown trees were transplanted from as far away as the Monterey Peninsula, rose terraces and formal courtyards were laid out amid the oak groves and lawns, and multiple-trunk olive trees were pruned to dip low over matching reflecting pools set in a stone terrace. Completely by hand, an architectural treasure was built.

This magnificent 35,000 square foot estate, now on six acres, evokes all the ambience and grandeur of another era. Featured as a Decorator Showcase in the early 1990’s, this circa 1930 Cotswold Tutor mansion has been meticulously renovated with a superb level of fine craftsmanship, architectural design and interior finishes. Secluded from view behind classic wrought-iron gates, one enters the grounds of this estate through a dramatic lighted cobblestone drive into a large motor court with a spectacular stone fountain – a truly grand entrance for the most elegant of galas.

An elegant black and white marble reception foyer greets guests, with a carved balustrade staircase leading to opulent public rooms; a banquet-sized formal dining room with carved marble fireplace and oversized French Doors leading to the Loggia and Grand Terrace; a cozy Library with 17th Century English paneling; and the crowning glory, The Music Room. This spectacular chamber, which is 55 feet long and is crowned by 15 foot ceilings with exquisite three dimensional decorations, features antique parquet-de-Versailles floorings, triple gold-gilt moldings, matching fireplaces, Bay Windows and French doors leading to the Grand Terrace. The Music Room of Tobin Clark Estate is featured in Helen Comstock’s as one of the 100 Most Beautiful Rooms In America.

Other features of the Tobin Clark mansion include 9+ bedrooms, 11 baths, 11 fireplaces, main kitchen, service pantry and kitchen, super-luxurious master quarters, a VIP suite (host to Heads of State), a handsome Bar Room, separate Guest Apartment, Wine Vault, Exercise Room and a huge Recreation/Media Room. The property also enjoys a six car garage and state-of-the-art systems, including sound, lighting, security and intercom throughout.

Upon completion in 1931, the home was filled with interior decor by Syrie Maugham (wife of Somerset), paintings by Van Dyke and Sir Joshua Reynolds, Queen Anne paneling, eighteenth century Chinese wall coverings, a rare Dubois writing table and over two hundred other items sent from England and the Continent. With a prized view overlooking San Francisco’s Lower Bay and the rolling landscape far to the west, ‘House-on-Hill’ now rests on a more manageable six acres, without the original Adler-designed sixteen-stall stables, ten-car garage and “laundry group”. Little else, though, has been sacrificed, and the house remains quietly tucked away behind the espaliered magnolias and majestic pines of a cherished Hillsborough setting.

Now viewing the lights surrounding San Francisco Bay, the 6-acre grounds offer an oasis featuring a Grand Terrace, rolling lawns, pool with guest house, a balustrade Rose Garden and manicured formal gardens with statuary. The exquisitely landscaped grounds are also fully lighted, wired for sound throughout and completely secured and gated. We would be glad to arrange a PRIVATE SHOWING for only the most discriminating and qualified buyer. Offered at $29,000,000 US. Until next time…Jim Walberg

Listing representation of the Tobin Clark Estate has been awarded to a consortium of Brokerages, each chosen for their unique expertise and experience: Keller Williams Realty International, Today Sotheby’s International Realty, Engel & Volkers, and Alain Pinel Realtors.

Courtesy of Ron & Alexandra Seigel of Napa Consultants, International

Carmel, California is highlighted in the latest article on the Language of Luxury blog. Luxury Real Estate members interviewed in this article are Peter Butler and Mike Canning from Carmel Realty.

“Actor-director Clint Eastwood once was the mayor of Carmel. Edward Weston and Ansel Adams, two of the most innovative and influential 20th century American photographers lived here. Each of these men are considered true masters in their own right and faithfully represent the rich artistic history that is at the core of Carmel-by the Sea, the center point of California’s North Central Coast.”

The article in its entirety is on the Napa Consultants, International blog ‘Language of Luxury’.

Courtesy of Frederick Peters, President of Warburg Realty

Yesterday evening I was engaged in a conversation with the composer Joan LaBarbara about the ways, good and bad, in which the Internet has opened the world of music to the general public. The Internet has also opened the world of listings to the general public. And this too is good and bad. Access to information has certainly created better informed consumers. But knowing the listings does not create expertise. The training, focus, and market knowledge possessed by the better real estate agents simply cannot be duplicated by the lay person. Nowhere is this more evident than in the preparation of the Board package. In her wonderfully funny new book about moving to New York, “The Last Blind Date”, Linda Yellin includes a full chapter on her co-op purchase experience. The Board process made NO sense to a Chicagoan like Linda, and frankly I think many New Yorkers, even those who think they know, really don’t understand just how time consuming and critical this piece of the puzzle can be. To make matters worse for squeamish prospective purchasers, established condos seem to be taking a page from the co-op playbook and requiring extensive Board packages themselves. So probably, if you as a buyer aren’t buying a townhouse or a condo offered by the sponsor, a Board package is in your future. So let’s open 2012 with a few tips for navigating the process:

· The Board package, when well executed should present a concise and comprehensive view of your life-familial, social, and financial. It should give the Board information about where you come from, what your interests are, what philanthropic endeavors occupy your time, what your kids are like-everything necessary to create a full picture.

· You will need to create a complete financial statement, along with back-up schedules and independent verification of all your assets. You will also need at least a couple of years of (probably complete) tax returns.

· The Blumberg form of co-op contract, which is used by most attorneys, only allows two weeks for Board package preparation. Take my word for it, this isn’t enough, especially when you include broker review. Make sure to get yourself three weeks rather than the two in the printed form.

· Really give some thought to who will write your social and business reference letters. These should be planned to include people who have known you a long time, people who know your kids, people who know your philanthropies; the letters should contain a full range of different perspectives. And please don’t you write them all or send the authors the same sample letter! It wastes a lot of everyone’s time if we have to go back to Square One with the letters because they are all written in the same font with the same salutation (a sure sign that the buyer wrote them all) or if they all contain the same middle paragraph ( a sure sign that the writers all received the same sample letter).

· About five days before the package is finally submitted, you will become so fed up with the process that it will actually seem sensible to you to a) assassinate your broker, b) move to a yurt in Outer Mongolia, or both. Don’t despair; this is the darkest hour before the dawn. And please don’t take it out on your agent either. Boards really ARE looking for all the details, clearly and sequentially presented. Remember, everyone you know who lives in a co-op has been through the same thing.

· Finally, when you are in the mood described in the bullet point above, do not say, or believe, that it is OK to hand in an incomplete package because “if they want more information they can come back and ask me for it.” Yes, they can, but often they won’t. They will just turn you down. It is far easier to provide all the detail the requirements, and your agent, ask for up front.

A Board package is time consuming, frustrating, and invasive. But it is the only way to end up with the co-op you want to live in. So take a deep breath, accept it, and work with your agent to make the process as painless as possible. No offense, but we really DO know more about this process than you do.

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