Blog contributions are provided exclusively from Luxury Real Estate members throughout the world.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Patricia Choi – Choi International
The list of nominees are….
Best Brand Integration
Gulf Coast International Properties
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Best Industry Networking
Diane Turton – Diane Turton, Realtors
Ann Chiasson - Sea to Sky Premier Properties
Bob Nathan – Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty
Jim Walberg – Keller Williams Danville
Tim Murray – Alain Pinel Realtors
Bonnie Smith – Exclusive Mountain Retreats Real Estate
Liane (Li) Read – Sea to Sky Premier Properties (Salt Spring)
Rollie Jordan – Kentwood Company
Antonio & Jose Ribes – Rimontgo
Karen Bigos – Towne Realty Group, LLC
Best New Community
Devonshire House
One Hanson Place
Best Overall Marketing Package
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Slifer, Smith & Frampton Real Estate
Hammond Residential Real Estate, LLC
Best Print Marketing
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estates
Hammond Residential Real Estate, LLC
Best Website Design
Hammond Residential Real Estate, LLC
Best Website Innovation
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Billionaire’s Club
Elizabeth Stribling - Stribling & Associates
Vicki & Bill Mitchell - Carmel Realty
Glennis Beacham - Beacham & Company, REALTORS
Patricia Choi - Choi International
Extraordinary Philanthropist
Jack Cotton – Sotheby’s International Realty
Travis Reed – Harry Norman, Realtors
Jim Walberg – Keller Williams Danville
Saul Cohen – Hammond Residential Real Estate, LLC
Most Impressive Listing
Diane Turton – Diane Turton, Realtors
Dixi Applegate - Slifer, Smith & Frampton Real Estate
Manyee Lui - Macdonald Realty Group Inc.
Elizabeth Stribling - Stribling & Associates
Brian Hazen - Mason Morse Real Estate
Kelly Drum – Drum Realty
Peter Butler – Carmel Realty Company
Lynn Brown Knoop – Carmel Realty Company
Most Innovative Marketing Technique
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Jack Cotton – Sotheby’s International Realty
Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estate
Luxury Real Estate New Zealand
Outstanding Rookie
Courtney Jones – Carmel Realty Company
Outstanding Social Media Savvy
By Andrew Harper
Our country is blessed with some of the finest dining establishments in the world, but for this list, I thought it would be more intriguing to look at quintessentially American restaurants.
Some of these places are legendary. Most are local institutions. All serve tremendous food.
These suggestions are based on my professional wanderings over the last 30 years as a luxury hotel reviewer and committed food lover. The selections are completely subjective and wholeheartedly recommended.
The Steakhouse
You can almost always count on finding a good steakhouse in every American city. And then there’s Peter Luger in Brooklyn. In business since 1887, it is renowned for its rigorously selected, succulent, buttery porterhouse prepared to exacting standards. This is not a fancy place; it’s cash only, and the service is gruffly efficient. No carnivore should miss it.
Restaurant With a View
My choice is Nepenthe in Big Sur, Calif. A casual place perched right by the Pacific, with tiered outdoor tables so that all can enjoy the glorious panorama, this is one of the most singular settings I’ve ever found in which to enjoy a meal. I was relieved to hear it survived the terrible fires that ravaged Big Sur earlier this summer. The food is simple but very good, and the thing to try is the aptly named “Ambrosiaburger.”
The Crab House
Maryland crab is one of the glories of America’s bounty, a food so inherently delicious that the less done to it the better. Jimmy Cantler’s Riverside Inn, just outside Annapolis overlooking Mill Creek, is the place to enjoy incomparable blue crab. Get them steamed and learn the indelicate art (wooden mallet required) of opening them. Or go for the nearly binder-free crab cakes, plump and irresistible.
Barbecue
If you really want to get folks riled up, don’t talk politics or religion — name the place you think has the best barbecue. Here it is: Arthur Bryant’s in Kansas City, Mo. Yes, I know the venerable Mr. Bryant has gone on to his reward. Yes, I know they’ve branched out. So go to the original on Brooklyn Avenue, where, in a setting that can be called simple, you’ll feast on the most sublime, tender ribs you can imagine. I’ve tried barbecue all over the country, and this remains my favorite.
Hamburger
This being perhaps the most American of all food, choosing one was difficult, but my ultimate favorite is that at Zuni Café in San Francisco. I am a great fan of this personable, stylish restaurant, which I visit every time I go to San Francisco. Chef Judy Rodgers’ burger is made from fresh ground beef, salted, chilled overnight and served on a wonderful focaccia bun. Add the excellent Caesar salad and a robust glass of red, and you have one of my favorite meals.
Cajun/Creole
Some say that this is the one true cuisine that evolved in America. After having visited New Orleans regularly for almost 30 years, I must say that the one place that consistently delivers the best is Commander’s Palace. Beautifully rebuilt after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Commander’s is better than ever, and Chef Tory McPhail is turning out classic and contemporary New Orleans food that is as good as any you’ll find.
Wine-Country Cuisine
During my last visits to Napa and Sonoma, the best meals I had were at the lovely restaurant Cyrus in the appealing town of Healdsburg in Sonoma County, Calif. The service is flawless; the food utterly sublime; the wine selections always on the mark. An added benefit: It is in the charming Les Mars Hotel, so no need to concern yourself with driving.
Pizza
The Italians will rightfully tell you that pizza was born in Italy — Naples, to be exact — and that we’ve taken a thing of beauty and transformed it beyond recognition. So? I’ve had the pizza in Naples, and it’s great, but the homegrown version is every bit as good. After tasting extensively all over the country, my choice is Frank Pepe in New Haven, Conn. Everything here is of the first order. But the standout is the fresh clam pizza with white sauce. This is a pie of sublime pleasure, the one against which I judge all others.
California Cuisine
This approach to cooking prizes the finest ingredients and preparing them so that their best qualities shine. The concept started at a small, charming restaurant in Berkeley, Calif., called Chez Panisse. The inspiration of Alice Waters, Chez Panisse has been thrilling diners since 1971. The menu changes daily, and there are no choices. Don’t let that deter you. You will encounter some entirely new tastes here. It’s not fancy — just profoundly delicious.
Hot Dog
I have a personal favorite spot for enjoying this American classic. Tucked off of 53rd Street in New York, just east of Fifth Avenue, is a little jewel of place called Paley Park. Donated to the city by William Paley, the late chairman of CBS, it is an oasis of sophisticated tranquility in the heart of this busy town, with graceful honey locust trees, ivy-clad walls, and a beautiful waterfall at the far end whose cascade blocks out the din of the city. A small concession stand sells sandwiches and drinks, but I suggest ordering the excellent hot dog and reveling in this marvelous urban sanctuary. Who needs a power lunch when you can have this?
Editor’s Note:
For more information on this company, contact Margaret Temple, the Business Development Manager at Andrew Harper in Austin, Texas. Andrew Harper is an exclusive partner with Luxury Real Estate. This is some great advice for travelers seeking great deals. For more than a quarter century, Andrew Harper has explored the world as an incognito traveler. Always paying his own way, his unbiased reviews of the finest hotels, villas, yachts, restaurants and culturally authentic travel experiences are legendary. Through a variety of media, complemented by highly personalized travel planning services, members of Andrew Harper’s luxury travel club enjoy the resources to dream, plan and realize an unparalleled level of globetrotting. After reading this blog entry, I feel like I just enjoyed a sumptuous meal! How about you? Be sure to check out the links to these amazing eateries in case you’re staying at a luxury property nearby and would like to enjoy exquisite cuisine. Andrew Harper’s blog entries are always informative whether he’s talking about top American cities, hotel tips or gourmet food. Be sure to keep checking the Luxury Real Estate Blog for scoops like this!
By Andrew Harper
Many people have a list of places they’d like to visit before they move on to the next world; here are a few American suggestions of my own.
For conversation’s sake, I have avoided the obvious targets, but a stroll across the Golden Gate Bridge or a trip up the Empire State Building is still definitely worth it.
Though we are lucky to live in a beautiful country, I have focused on smaller, man-made locales, simply because a catalog of pretty American places could stretch on forever.
This list is admittedly subjective, but it comes from 30 years of professional wandering. Some places are more well-known than others, but all share a sense of tranquility and wonder.
And since I review small boutique hotels for a living, I have included nearby recommended places to stay. Happy travels!
Madison Valley, Montana
Montana’s Madison Valley, which runs between the Madison and Gallatin ranges down to West Yellowstone, is magnificent Lewis and Clark territory. This is unspoiled land, vast and uncompromising – everything you hope Big Sky Country will look like. Harper Recommended Hotel: The Lodge at Sun Ranch.
San Francisco de Asis Church, Ranchos de Taos
Famously painted by Georgia O’Keefe and described by her as “one of the most beautiful buildings left in the United States by the early Spaniards,” this handsome adobe mission a few miles outside of Taos Pueblo yokes together a staggering five centuries of American history. Harper Recommended Hotel: Casa de las Chimeneas, Taos.
Whaling Museum, Nantucket
At its whaling peak during the first half of the 19th century, the small island of Nantucket had 88 ships scattered across the oceans. The Whaling Museum is wonderfully evocative of this era (plenty of scrimshaw and rusty harpoons), and out-of-season Nantucket Town, with its Greek Revival mansions and cobblestone streets, is equally enchanting. Harper Recommended Hotel: The Wauwinet.
Battery District, Charleston
The historic Battery District of Charleston, South Carolina, home to dozens of stately antebellum mansions, is one of the prettiest American neighborhoods I’ve ever explored. Follow the promenade along the shores of the Charleston peninsula; Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired, sits broodingly across the Cooper River. Harper Recommended Hotel: Planters Inn.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Housed in a charming Venetian-style palazzo, this gem of a gallery displays works by Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Whistler and Sargent. It’s small enough to tour in an hour or so, and you can spend the rest of your time enjoying the sunny, flower-filled courtyard. And if your name happens to be Isabella, you get in free. Harper Recommended Hotel: XV Beacon.
The Four Seasons Restaurant, New York
If you had to choose only one restaurant in New York City to visit, the Four Seasons Restaurant would be the one. The city’s prettiest dining room was designed by architects Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson, and astutely hasn’t been touched since its introduction in 1959. The Pool Room is a study in muted sophistication, despite some of the outsized egos at the tables. Harper Recommended Hotel: The Lowell.
The Rothko Chapel, Houston
This small, non-denominational chapel located just off the Menil gallery in Houston’s Museum District seems unassuming at first, but spend some time surrounded by the 14 mysterious paintings by Mark Rothko, and it may start sinking into your skin. Harper Recommended Hotel: St. Regis.
The Huntington Gardens, San Marino, California
Mr. Huntington did quite well in railroads, and he’s left us with a wonderful afternoon escape just outside of Los Angeles. After admiring some of the spoils of his industry – a Gutenberg Bible, a Shakespeare folio, Thomas Gainsborough’s “The Blue Boy” – venture out into the superb botanical gardens, home to dozens of unique environments: an almost eerily authentic Japanese garden, a lily pond straight out of a Monet painting, and an entrancing collection of cacti. Harper Recommended Hotel: Hotel Bel-Air.
Robie House (Frank Lloyd Wright), Chicago
The Robie House, the world’s first modern home, was designed in 1908 by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and still seems startlingly contemporary 100 years later; with its broad horizontal lines and sleek art glass windows, it looks like a modernist yacht. Wright himself showed up to protest the planned demolition of the house (it was to be replaced by a seminary dormitory) at the ripe old age of 90. Harper Recommended Hotel: Four Seasons.
The Oregon Coast
Highway 101 along the Oregon Coast swerves through 360 miles of jagged cliffs, rocky outcrops, sweeping dunes and temperate rain forests. The coastline lacks deep harbors, so there are no large cities here – just old logging towns, fishing villages and the occasional artist colony. And the entire coast is public land, which makes for excellent picnic opportunities in rugged and remote spaces. Harper Recommended Hotel: The Stephanie Inn, Cannon Beach.
Editor’s Note:
For more information on this company, contact Margaret Temple, the Business Development Manager at Andrew Harper in Austin, Texas. Andrew Harper is an exclusive partner with Luxury Real Estate. This is some great advice for travelers seeking great deals. For more than a quarter century, Andrew Harper has explored the world as an incognito traveler. Always paying his own way, his unbiased reviews of the finest hotels, villas, yachts, restaurants and culturally authentic travel experiences are legendary. Through a variety of media, complemented by highly personalized travel planning services, members of Andrew Harper’s luxury travel club enjoy the resources to dream, plan and realize an unparalleled level of globetrotting. This blog entry is chock full of great information, just like Andrew Harper’s previous blog entry. Be sure to keep checking back at the Luxury Real Estate Blog for scoops like this!
By Scott Rudolph
I’ve been a fan of Forbes since I helped usher in our first “Best of the Web” and “Forbes Favorite” awards back in the year 2000. Since then, we’ve continued to earn “Best of the Web” status and I continue to tune in. Recently, I noticed an analysis of America’s Recession-Proof Cities by Joshua Zumbrun.
Don’t fret if your community is not listed in this particular article, there are many more:
Rebecca Ruiz files a special report after extensive research regarding America’s Best Cities For The Outdoors and while we choose to provide our high net worth private clients some privacy, Lauren Sherman satisfies the curiosity of those insatiable for scoop regarding their favorite stars in Second Homes Of The Stars. The list goes on and on of course. At the end of the day, I find there are talking points and real estate opportunities everywhere. Remember, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: all real estate is global.
Editor’s Note:
Scott Rudolph is the Director of Business Development for LuxuryRealEstate.com. He works with a variety of luxury-focused companies to expand the LuxuryRealEstate.com influence. These Forbes lists are great for us to review and enjoy. Check them out!
By Allyson Metters
I was recently speaking with my brother, who is in the market for a new home in Santa Cruz, CA. I immediately offered my services to help with the process, but, being the independent 28-year-old that he is, he told me that he’s got it all under control. As an artist/plumber who specializes in custom copper piping, he has created his own referral network that serves him well.
He learned from a master – our father. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s he owned two successful foreign auto-repair businesses. He managed to create a network of individuals who would refer business to him. He became pretty well-known in the area as the man to see in Pittsburgh about your Rolls Royce, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, etc. Not only did his network provide him with continued business, but it also gave him the resources he needed to keep that business going. Our family barbecues often included doctors, bankers, and real-estate agents that he had developed strong working relationships with.
At an early age, my siblings and I learned the importance of building those relationships – making those connections. Everyone in our business has some sort of network that they rely on. At this time of year, it is important for those in real estate to re-examine their networks, see what is working for them, identify what is not, and work on making some new connections that may take their business to a more profitable level. Never underestimate the value of a referral network – the return on this investment can be seen for many years in the future.
My dad is still a great example of this. He now has a new business completely unrelated to automobiles, and the same connections he has had for over 30 years are still referring people his way.
Editor’s Note:
Allyson Metters is the Relocation Manager for LuxuryRealEstate.com. She helps people who are moving to find a perfect broker to meet their needs in their new area. Parents are wonderful. Their example can make lasting impressions on their children, for better or worse. In this case, it is definitely for the better. Having gained referral and networking skills from the best, Allyson is well-equipped to help you with your relocation needs. You can contact her at AMetters@luxuryrealestate.com. You can also come to the 6th Annual Luxury Real Estate Spring Retreat in San Diego this April to build your own network of the best luxury brokers in the world.
By Courtney Jackson
Unique Homes is now in the process of compiling the 2008 edition of Ultimate Homes, an annual magazine dedicated to the listing and ranking of the top 1,000 properties currently on the market for purchase. Since 2005, Ultimate Homes has served as the standard for ranking the best in luxury real estate by price.
"We believe a vehicle that ranks and lists the most expensive estates here in America was information that was fractured and incomplete. For the first time, the consumer now has a comprehensive source to compare and contrast by price the most sought after properties currently on the market for purchase," said Nick Antonicello, Director of Sales for both Unique Homes and Ultimate Homes.
As in the past, the publication will not only list the top 1,000 listings by price, but also the top ten listings by price, by state. "This is a twist to the rankings that ensures geographic balance to the information provided. For the most part, the list is dominated by California, Florida and New York. By also offering the top ten properties by state, the consumer gets added insight on smaller markets like Utah, Montana or Idaho," said Antonicello.
Last year the states of New York, California and Florida represented nearly $12.5 billion of the $19.1 billion or 65% of all the homes in the list of 1000 properties. The Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate network (LuxuryRealEstate.com) represented 112 different properties in this exclusive list or nearly 12% of all properties!
Like in past editions, editorial will focus upon the top ten listings as well as the top ten agents with the most listings. In addition there will be breakdowns by companies, networks and organizations who represent the best of the luxury segment here in the United States. The list will feature current listings between $11 million and $165 million. If an agent currently represents an estate property in this price point, they are qualified to advertise the property on a half-page, full-page or two-page basis.
"Ultimate Homes is the ultimate publication for marketing the most expensive properties currently on the market. It will be sent complimentary in a hardbound edition to the agents and sellers whose properties are advertised beyond the list and the magazine will be sold off newsstands in some 80 countries. It is a once-a-year opportunity to truly allow the agent to promote a significant property in a special venue designed to reach high net worth consumers currently in the market," said Antonicello.
For details please contact LuxuryRealEstate.com Print Director Courtney Jackson, Courtney@LuxuryRealEstate.com or 800-488-4066.
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