Luxury Real Estate

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 Robert Lockard

I have some good news and some even better news. The good news is that RE/MAX Cayman Islands just joined LuxuryRealEstate.com, expanding our global network even further into the Caribbean. The even better news is that Kass Canada Coleman, the Broker/Owner of Beachcastles and an agent with RE/MAX Cayman Islands is No. 6 on the list of top international RE/MAX brokers, based on residential commissions paid from January through April 2008.

It’s always nice to hear good news like this. Apparently the Cayman Islands are enjoying a very healthy real-estate market right now. Check out Kass’ website www.beachcastles.com for some in-depth information about the Cayman Islands, in case you’d like to go visit.


Editor’s Note:
Robert Lockard is the Public Relations & Media Specialist with LuxuryRealEstate.com. I am Robert. I create all of Luxury Real Estate’s newsletters, write the editorials in LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine and much more. Good job, Kass, and welcome to the network! I’d like to include the actual list to back up this claim, but I’m not sure if I’m allowed to yet. I hope you don’t mind. The above picture is from: www.beachcastles.com/home/team.php?id=0.

By Brian Langhorst

The Swanepoel Trends Report for 2008 recently named Real Living, Inc. “The Most Promising New National Brand.”

We are very excited to work closely with Kaira Sturdivant Rouda and the entire Real Living brand. Kaira’s friendly yet hard-working attitude continues to drive this dynamic brand. Real Living is our Board of Regents member for the entire state of Ohio. Congratulations to Real Living on yet another notable accomplishment.
 

Editor’s Note:
Brian Langhorst is LuxuryRealEstate.com’s Membership Manager. He meets members’ unique needs through the dynamic services LuxuryRealEstate.com provides. Real Living certainly deserves all of the praise heaped upon it.

By Brian Langhorst

Kaira Sturdivant Rouda, the Chief Operating Officer of Real Living Inc. in Columbus, Ohio and our select Board of Regents member for the entire state of Ohio, has been very busy lately. Several months ago Kaira wrote and published a great book, “Real You Incorporated.” This empowering book for women and all businesspeople recently broke into the top 25 books corporate America is reading!

Congratulations, Kaira!


Editor’s Note:
Brian Langhorst is LuxuryRealEstate.com’s Membership Manager. He meets members’ unique needs through the dynamic services LuxuryRealEstate.com provides. In addition to being an accomplished business leader and author, Kaira Rouda is also a great public speaker, which she showed at the 6th Annual Luxury Real Estate Spring Retreat in San Diego last month. Her presentation was entitled “Real Marketing for Today’s Consumer.”

By Brian Langhorst

Tom Smyth of St. Barth Properties Sotheby’s International Realty a member of Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate, recently closed the highest-priced private residential sale in the history of St. Barth! This notable listing was closed at €25,000,000 ($39,000,000).

We are very proud to have Tom Smyth and his team of professionals in our network. Congratulations!


Editor’s Note:
Brian Langhorst is LuxuryRealEstate.com’s Membership Manager. He meets members’ unique needs through the dynamic services LuxuryRealEstate.com provides. This is wonderful news! What a beautiful property. Good job, Tom!

By Meghan Barry

Ewing & Clark, Inc. is pleased to announce the recent closing of 1620 Lake Washington Boulevard in Seattle, Washington for $15,800,000. This is the highest residential sale in King County in the past two years.

The 9,000-square-foot Santa Barbara-style residence sits on 120 feet of Lake Washington waterfront in the heart of Seattle’s renowned Denny Blaine neighborhood. The home was originally designed by William Blaine. The reconstruction was designed by Stuart Silk and built by Reed Construction, and the interiors were designed by Michael McQuiston Designs. Betsy Q. Terry brokered both the purchase and resale of the property, also serving as a consultant on the rebuild.

View the property here: www.luxuryrealestate.com/748661.


Editor’s Note:
Meghan Barry is the Executive Vice President of LuxuryRealEstate.com. She works closely with CEO John Brian Losh to organize a variety of Luxury Real Estate programs, events and services. Mr. Losh is also the owner and broker of Ewing & Clark, which is Seattle’s oldest brokerage. This is wonderful news, and I hope that you also have great news to share.

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.

By Terri MacDonald

The Real Estate Top 200 rankings were announced this month at the National Association of REALTORS’® Annual Conference & Expo in Las Vegas at a gala awards presentation and dinner.

The Walt Danley Group, a LuxuryRealEstate.com member in Phoenix, Arizona, achieved a closed sales volume of $245,638,856 and is ranked sixth among real-estate teams nationwide by sales volume. Although sales units closed were down nearly 20 percent in 2006, the nation’s top 200 real estate professionals were within 5 percent of the record they achieved in 2005.

The Paradise Valley real-estate team is led by Walt Danley, who last year achieved a No. 3 ranking among 126,000 Coldwell Banker sales associates worldwide. Danley was named one of the “35 Most Influential People in Luxury Real Estate” in 2006, along with such names as Donald Trump and Jack Nicklaus. This is also the fourth consecutive year Danley has been ranked as the top Coldwell Banker agent in Arizona. Danley sold more luxury real estate than any other real-estate agent in the State of Arizona during 2006, regardless of company affiliation.

“Becoming a member of The Real Estate Top 200 is no small feat, considering these accomplished professionals are competing against more than one million real estate agents nationwide,” said Anne Randolph, publisher of lore Magazine. “It is an elite group, and this national recognition is our way of saluting the hard work and accomplishments of America’s top real estate agents like Walt Danley.”


Editor’s Note:
We welcome stories from LuxuryRealEstate.com members for posting on our blog. They are the experts in their local luxury real estate markets, so they can give us great insights that we might not otherwise see. Plus, it’s nice to hear good news.