Luxury Real Estate Blog :

Cuernavaca: The perfect weekend retreat near Mexico City

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:00:00 -0400

By Barbara Waugh

Cuernavaca’s perfect climate and proximity to Mexico City make it a favorite weekend retreat and the destination of choice for a large expatriate community.

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning (foreigners can own luxury property in their own name) or renting your own Mexican villa, this is the place, whether you’re looking for a winter retreat, summer vacation home, weekend getaway or year-round residence.

A strong buyer’s market exists for luxury homes in all styles, sizes and price ranges, usually including a pool and garden. But as prices rise, many of the real bargains are being snapped up, from the cool, tree-shaded heights of Rancho Cortes and Vista Hermosa to the warm, tropical gardens of Palmira and Acapantzingo, all fashionable Cuernavaca neighborhoods.

Both Travel & Leisure and The Robb Report, two popular U.S. luxury lifestyle publications, have ranked Cuernavaca as among the best communities in the world in which to live. Forbes magazine has on several occasions featured a luxury Cuernavaca property on its website as its Property of the Week.

Mexico City is an hour’s drive via a modern six-lane highway, and its international airport is a half-hour farther. The Cuernavaca airport, located on the outskirts of the city, offers limited commercial service within Mexico, charter flights and service for private planes.

At a lower cost than they would be charged at other world-class resorts, residents and visitors can enjoy golf, tennis and horseback riding, as well as holistic spas, fine international restaurants, cultural events, U.S. and international television programming, recreational parks and much more.

Many foreigners prefer Cuernavaca proper over life in the suburbs or countryside, citing privacy, security, convenience and cultural diversity.

Other resort destinations in the region, such as Tepoztlan, a charming village with a lively crafts market, and Cocoyoc, home to a popular golf course and equestrian events, have their admirers, but no outlying destination offers those four important qualities to the extent that Cuernavaca does.

Rental prices are higher during the high season, Thanksgiving to Easter, when it’s freezing up north. A house with all services, garden, pool and staff, rents from $250 a day, or about $7,500 a month, depending on size. Yearly rentals cost less proportionately, but offer fewer services.

Good neighborhoods in all areas offer a choice of property locations. Unlike other Mexican towns popular with expatriates, Cuernavaca’s international community is not concentrated in one place. You can choose to be in the Historic Center, near the impressive 16th-century Cathedral and the Cortes Palace, or in a quiet gated community, on a golf course or near equestrian facilities, at the Racquet Club, on a broad avenue or a cobblestone street – the choices are numerous.

Many residents live in a privada, a private street a block or two long with controlled access, security and no through traffic. A house built by a well-known architect in a privada with a lovely terrace, pool and garden is priced from about $475,000.

One key factor in deciding where to buy or rent is temperature: southern Cuernavaca is 1,000 feet lower than its northern counterpart, and can be as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit warmer.

Building in a foreign country, and therefore in a foreign language, shouldn’t be an obstacle: English-speaking architects can help. It is cheaper and easier, however, to buy a property than build, and prices are negotiable. Besides, most of the best sites have already been built on.

As an owner, you may rent your property during the seasonal months for enough to cover the yearly maintenance. Absentee ownership will require a good administrator, which is easy to find. Time-shares are almost nonexistent, except among groups of friends or relatives who make their own arrangements; there are more condominiums every day.

Title insurance for Mexican real estate (TIMR) protects against risks involved in the transfer of property rights. The price of the policy may vary between 0.5 percent and 1 percent of the property value, according to an attorney familiar with the insurance. But most buyers do not need title insurance because Mexican notaries are civil servants responsible for ensuring that titles are clear and there are no liens or debts on the properties.

Editor’s Note:
Barbara Waugh is the Broker/Owner of Barbara Waugh Properties Cuernavaca. A real estate broker in Mexico for more than 35 years, Waugh has for the past 10 years been an affiliate of Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate. For more information, visit www.barbarawaugh.com or www.cuernavacaproperties.com, or e-mail bw (at) barbarawaugh.com. These sound like some wonderful opportunities in Mexico. By the way, "Cuernavaca" means cow's horn in English. The photo above is from www.flickr.com/photos/kafka4prez/82996937 and it is the copyright of kafka4prez.

Where to buy luxury homes in Newcastle, Australia?

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:23:00 -0400

By Michael Marquette
From his blog: Where to Buy in Newcastle (Australia)?

Are you considering a sea change or thinking about which suburbs are in most demand in Newcastle? If you are, this information is essential reading. Earlier this month, I wrote about the massive 85 percent drop in sales in July this year compared to the same month last year for properties in the City of Newcastle.

If the trend continues many real estate agencies will close their doors and many agents will be forced to flee the industry. This staggering decrease in demand has put enormous pressure on pricing in the area and is causing many vendors considerable grief. So the question of where to buy to best protect your investment is more important than ever.

In Sydney, we have seen suburbs close to beaches and the Harbour hold their price the best. The outer suburbs, especially in the West have struggled and have significantly dropped in value. It really shows that as demand drops in an area price follows in the same direction.

In Newcastle, the Blue Ribbon suburbs of Merewether, Bar Beach, Cooks Hill and The Hill have all suffered from interest-rate increases and decreased buyer demand but nowhere near to the extent of rest of the City. Year-to-date sales in those suburbs are down 32 percent on the same period last year – not the massive reduction seen in the City as a whole.

These suburbs enjoy close proximity to beaches, Newcastle Harbour, cafes, restaurants and many enjoy spectacular coastal views. Purchasing a luxury home is all about location and the choice of suburb is crucial in protecting your valuable asset. This formula is true for all coastal cities and will help put you in the safest position.

Editor’s Note:
Michael Marquette is the co-Founder and Director of Marquette Turner Luxury Homes, a member of Luxury Real Estate in East Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded on Australia Day 2007 by Marquette and Simon Turner, Marquette Turner is a property consultancy company covering the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria. Marquette has a background in medicine and a large retail and wholesale business. Very good information! Buyers definitely need an expert to help guide them through the pitfalls scattered across the current luxury market. The photo above is from www.flickr.com/photos/linksmanjd/2723754204 and it is the copyright of LinksmanJD.

It’s up to you New York, New York!

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:53:00 -0400

By Yvonne Harvey

LuxuryRealEstate.com is planning a post-conference networking trip to New York for those attending the 13th Annual Luxury Real Estate Fall Conference, October 11-14, 2008. This trip is not just any networking trip … oh no. We have added some great entertainment!

Of my years in event planning, one of my most memorable trips was to New York City. Since the group I was taking included sports advertisers and die-hard Seattle Mariners fans, we went to Yankee Stadium to see the Mariners womp the Yankees! Hopefully there aren’t too many Yankee fans out there!

I decided in their trip package to add a Broadway musical … Tarzan. I got everyone together to go to the play, and I felt it was like pulling teeth from some of these sports fanatics to go to a musical. It never came to mind that it may not be cool to see a musical! So picture this, as we are leaving the play, I have all these people saying this was the highlight of the whole trip! Well hello! I’m guessing it’s cool now!

That’s why it wasn’t even a second thought … I had to add a Broadway musical into the post trip to New York, October 14-16, 2008. The play is Billy Elliot and it is getting RAVE reviews! An unprecedented smash in the West End, where it has won 9 Best Musical awards, broken U.K. box office records and continues to sell out nightly. Among the creative team is the music legend Elton John. You will not want to miss this play!

To confirm your participation, please contact Luxury Real Estate at 1.800.488.4066. Join us!

Editor’s Note:
Yvonne Harvey is the Events Coordinator for Luxury Real Estate. So when you come and enjoy the wonderful presentations, discussions and networking opportunities at Luxury Real Estate conferences, you know who to thank. You definitely don’t want to miss out on the Fall Conference or the networking trip.

Higher education is becoming worthless

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:58:00 -0400

By Robert Lockard

A while ago I stepped back from writing about luxury real estate to discuss a terribly destructive force that threatens to destroy families and make people miserable: debt. I would like to discuss something that I find to be just as dangerous as addiction to debt – the illogically high cost of earning a college degree.

I read a potentially explosive story on CNN yesterday about a bubble in the cost of higher education that makes the real-estate bubble or the tech crash in 2000 look tame in comparison.

I’d like to start by talking about my experience in college. When I attended college not too long ago, tuition and book costs were already getting out of hand, although they were manageable. I attended a community college in Washington state for my first two years to obtain my Associate’s degree. I had hoped to transfer to the University of Washington to complete my Bachelor of Arts in Communications, but the cost was prohibitive and, even though I graduated with honors and on the Dean’s list, I still had to wait a long time to enter that college.

Instead, I decided to accept a scholarship at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah and that turned out to be a very smart decision. In addition to the positive environment that beautiful campus offered, the cost of attending there was relatively low compared to my other options and I was able to pay for my entire education without going into hardly any debt. I am one of nine children, and my parents wisely told me that I would have to find a way to pay for my education by myself. Through a great deal of hard work and tight budgeting, I made it through without having to burden my family members.

During my time in college, I kept my mind focused on why I was there. I wasn’t there to waste time or take frivolous classes; I was there to finish my degree as quickly and as meaningfully as possible so that I could put my skills to use. I am grateful for the opportunities my college degree has opened for me. However, education costs are rising so fast that there might not be much reason for people to attend college in the future.

I would probably be sympathetic to colleges if the reason for the rise in education costs was because they were improving their education techniques or doing other things that would warrant such cost increases. But the truth is that this is not the case. Many colleges are increasing tuition costs for no other reason than because they want more students to apply. It seems to defy logic, but it’s true. Colleges appear to be playing a game that they will eventually lose. When they raise prices, people assume that they must have done so because they are more prestigious or offer better learning opportunities and so the colleges usually receive an increase in applications. This pattern cannot last forever.

Education is extremely important. It allows people to rise from humble circumstances and it also helps them make informed decisions about where they want to go in life. By making education worthless, colleges are doing a great disservice to their students. By worthless, I mean that the cost far exceeds the rewards. Greater cost does not always mean greater return on investment.

Increases in healthcare, energy and real-estate costs don’t even come close to touching the rise in education costs, as you can see in the graph in the CNN article. Knowledge is power, and if the cost of education becomes so high that that the benefits of earning it become small in comparison then we will be in big trouble. I am not suggesting that college degrees be easier to obtain or that unqualified people should receive an education without working hard. I am suggesting that colleges are in danger. They spend much of their increasing amount of money on frivolous amenities that do not improve their educational services or make their students’ diplomas any more valuable. Posh restaurants, nicer dorms and other foolish perks are unimportant for students who are simply hoping to receive the education they need to progress in life.

At some point people are going to realize that an education is not worth living under such an extreme amount of debt to obtain. When that day comes and colleges must cut their tuitions drastically, many cherished institutions will most certainly be unable to cope with this dramatic shift and they will come crashing down. Destroyed by their own pride and haughtiness. They will discover that they have spent their money on things that have no value and they are unable to offer students what they promised: an honest education.

I dislike focusing on something so negative as this, but I think it deserves special attention. Thank you very much for your comments. Feel free to let me know what you think of the state of higher education.

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. I apologize again for sounding so negative. I am a very hopeful person and I trust that things will turn out right in the end. The photo of the bleeding wallet is from www.flickr.com/photos/adobemac/161319144 and it is the copyright of adobemac. The photo of the door is from www.flickr.com/photos/ben-zvan-photography/468487548 and it is the copyright of Ben Zvan.

Up, down, sideways – Which way is the San Francisco Bay Area market going?

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:10:00 -0400

By Aaron Wheeler
From his blog: Up, Down, Sideways – Which Way Is The San Francisco Bay Area Market Going?

As a part of being Real Estate 3.0, I talk about Wall Street financial sophistication. I love numbers and statistics, and it is important to keep them in mind when evaluating any opportunity.

I’m happy to make available the research that I use to stay on top of market conditions here in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Las Vegas too.

If you go to my research widget by clicking here and letting me know which areas you are interested in, you will receive a weekly executive summary report for almost any city in the area, from San Francisco to Pebble Beach and everything in between (Interested in Las Vegas instead? Email me with information on the areas you are interested in and I’ll send you a current report right away). Each report is loaded with vital statistics showing price trends, inventory and the unique market action index that gauges whether we are favoring a buyer’s or seller’s market. (Generally, index values above 30 favor the seller.)

If you like what you see and would like to become a client, I will upgrade you the full report, which will go into depth as to what makes each market area tick.

Editor’s Note:
Aaron Wheeler is the President and Managing Broker of Oakville Properties in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can find additional great blog entries like this at the Oakville Properties Blog. Oakville Properties is a member of Luxury Real Estate. This blog entry can also be found on the Luxury Lounge, for those of you LuxuryRealEstate.com members who have accepted the invitation to join that new networking group. Research is key to finding the right opportunities at the right time. Aaron is an awesome resource for buyers and sellers in the San Francisco and Las Vegas luxury home markets. I definitely recommend taking his advice and contacting him to gain all the knowledge you can from him.

Microsoft unveils new photo tool to the public!

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:15:00 -0400

By Brian Langhorst

Photosynth is one of the latest projects from Microsoft to come out of their Live Labs group and development business.

This unique program will take photos that you specify from your camera or computer desktop and find the similarities in each photo and create a visual presentation piecing these photos together. It might be hard to see what the big deal is based on this short description, but I encourage you to visit the Photosynth site and you will better understand just how fascinating this new tool is.

I feel this tool will be great for luxury real estate agent and brokerages. How many times have homebuyers or sellers commented that photos do not properly capture a unique or special high-end listing? This new tool from Microsoft could be a great way to create more eye-catching presentations to allow potential buyers to see the luxury property in its true form.

Our team here will be sure to continue to present our members with the most innovative tools and opportunities, such as Photosynth, for their business.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback on this new tool!

Editor’s Note:
Brian Langhorst is LuxuryRealEstate.com’s Membership Manager. He meets members’ unique needs through the dynamic services LuxuryRealEstate.com provides. It seems like there are endless possibilities and new technologies being created all the time. It will be very exciting to keep an eye on this Photosynth program and other innovative Web tools coming out. Thanks for the heads-up, Brian! The photo above is from www.flickr.com/photos/tommybart2000/2688931093 and it is the copyright of Thomas Barthelet.

East Bay real-estate community selflessly serves homeless veterans

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:03:00 -0400

By Jim Walberg
From his blog: East Bay Real Estate Community Supports “Stand Down”!

2008 “Stand Down” serves 600 homeless veterans at the Alameda County Fairgrounds August 7th - 10th!

Another example as to how your real-estate community and its service providers continue to give back to the needs of the Bay Area was demonstrated on Friday, Aug. 8 at 5:30 a.m. at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. Members of the REALTORS® Marketing Association served breakfast to a “village” of war veterans.

Every two years the Diablo Valley Vietnam Veterans Association arranges for an entire “tent city” to be set up in the East Bay so homeless veterans can be served. “Stand Down” is a term used during war to describe the practice of removing combat troops from the field and take care of their basic needs in a safe place. That is exactly what has been created for 600 homeless veterans this week. The RMA contracts Ruggie’s Restaurant in San Ramon to supply ALL the food they serve.

REALTOR® Mike Weber, a member of the Diablo Valley Vietnam Veterans, is the person who continues to invite the real-estate community to be a participant in supporting this important project. They always say YES! Some of the services available for these lost, but not forgotten, veterans are:

- Medical facilities to serve their health needs – including dental, plus a follow-up care program.

- A “field court” with county judges to fast-track clearing up legal issues that may be preventing these veterans from securing employment.

- Job-placement services that also assists them in having DMV re-issued driver’s licenses.

- Assisting with identifying residential opportunities.

- A complete barber shop, new clothing, shoes and other basic clothing needs.

Members of the Diablo Valley Vietnam Veterans were inspired to create the first East Bay Stand Down in 1999 in order to provide a respite from the “streets.” In the midst of all the services provided, their commitment is to treat each of these veterans with respect and dignity. Most of us are unaware, and maybe don’t want to know, that there are about 154,000 homeless veterans on the streets of our cities on any given night. Just in our Bay Area there are over 7,000 homeless veterans! An even sadder statistic is that a BIG number of these veterans have little or no contact with Veteran Administration for either medial or financial aid. Stand Down directly addresses the issue that cannot be ignored any longer - aiding and assisting veterans in need to improve their lives, no matter how difficult it may be to do so.

The first Stand Down was held in San Diego in 1988. It has now been integrated into over 200 cities around the country with over 200,000 veterans and their families being served. A key objective is to break the cycle of the homeless epidemic within the veteran community. These are the men and women who have served our country, and we need to make sure they are not forgotten.

A quote that is appropriate for their mission is, “A community is often judged by how well it takes care of its own.” Serving the needs of those who have served to protect and create Freedom in the world is a worth activity for all of us to consider. Please contact Stand Down or Jim Walberg if you want to personally get involved, or to make financial contributions. Also, contact me any time to find out about other service opportunities for Bay Area community projects. Until next time… your East Bay real estate detective remains on duty.

Editor’s Note:
Jim Walberg is the co-Broker/Owner of The Bay Area Team, the most-successful team at Keller Williams Realty-Danville. He is also a member of the global LuxuryRealEstate.com network. Jim is an exceptional blogger, as you can see by visiting his blogs, East Bay Real Estate and Caribbean Islands Realty, and reading his great blog entries like the one above. He is the master of fractionals and other luxury homes in the Bay Area and the Caribbean, and he always has a lot of great opportunities to share. Philanthropy is awesome. We should all follow the Golden Rule as we go about our many activities in this life. Great people aren’t those who leave behind the most wealth when they die, but those who bless others’ lives and seek to lift their brothers and sisters on their shoulders. Luxury properties are what we sell, but people are who we serve.

Ed McMahon and Donald Trump: Is this justice?

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:58:00 -0400

By Robert Lockard

Nick Antonicello, Director of Sales for Unique Homes, pointed out an interesting story to me last week in the Los Angeles Times Blog. You might have already heard about it, but I just want to put in my two cents about the whole affair.

Peter Viles, Senior Producer for Real Estate at LATimes.com, wrote in his blog entry that Donald Trump, possibly the best-known real-estate developer in the world, is seeking to buy Ed McMahon’s mansion to save him from foreclosure.

In an even more bizarre turn of events, Mr. Trump now might be having some competition for buying Mr. McMahon’s luxury home. That’s according to a new blog post today by Ann Brenoff, author of the Los Angeles Times’ weekly “Hot Property” feature.

As Mr. Spock would say, “Fascinating.”

To be honest, I’m not sure what to make of this story. I mean, Mr. McMahon certainly seems like a good man who simply let his finances get out of control until he went from delivering oversized million-dollar checks to being unable to pay for his multimillion-dollar luxury property. His story just seems remarkable and bitterly ironic.

Since he went public with his mortgage troubles, it appears that Mr. McMahon will now be able to make it through this difficult experience fairly well. Competing offers on a house that’s about to be short sold is pretty impressive, I think.

I guess, in the end, my point is: Is this justice? I mean, not everyone can be helped like this. Is Ed McMahon’s celebrity status the main reason why he is receiving this attention and assistance? I’m uncertain of the answer to these questions. I hate to see anyone suffer, but is some suffering just while other suffering should be alleviated, and how do we judge that?

I believe that life is generally good, although it is difficult and filled with perils. Mr. McMahon seems to have had a very good life, gaining much more success and fame than most people will ever know. I feel bad that he is facing failure near the end of his life, but perhaps that is a lesson he needed to learn. I am sure we all must face failure and seek to succeed afterwards. Hopefully we will learn to be better people in the process.

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. I was really tempted to call this blog entry “Wake up with the King” Luckily, I refrained. You can share your blog entries on the Luxury Real Estate Blog by emailing them to me. By the way, ordinarily I would link to the two blog entries above via their TrackBack links, but they don’t appear to be working, so I just used their regular links. The photo of Mr. Spock is from www.flickr.com/photos/cultureculte/2306916969 and it is the copyright of culture.culte.

Luxury homes better off avoiding auctions

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:32:00 -0400

By Michael Marquette
From his blog: Luxury Homes Fail to Sell at Auction

It has always astonished me how many real estate agents advise everyone they meet to auction their home home. In Regional cities like Newcastle this happens all too often with the inevitable result of the property passing in, and in most cases not even receiving one bid from a potential buyer.

The process is horrendous for vendors who quite often have their hopes set high only to have them come crashing down on auction day. Potential purchasers use the fact that the property passed in to show that there is little if any interest in the home and accordingly offer much less for the property or just wait for the price to continue falling in the hope of snapping it up for a bargain price.

This is even truer when looking at luxury homes in sort after suburbs in Newcastle like The Hill, Bar Beach and Merewether. Twenty-seven homes were put to auction in the Hunter yesterday with only eight selling, for a clearance rate of just 30 percent. Even more interesting is that the highest price paid for a property sold at auction yesterday was just $452,000!

It is more important than ever to choose an agent with the experience, qualifications and knowledge of the luxury market when selling your home. The one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t work when selling luxury properties and is even more important when selling property in Regional cities.

Editor’s Note:
Michael Marquette is the co-Founder and Director of Marquette Turner Luxury Homes in East Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded on Australia Day 2007 by Marquette and Simon Turner, Marquette Turner is a property consultancy company covering the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria. Marquette has a background in medicine and a large retail and wholesale business. Very interesting. An inexperienced real-estate agent might not know the best way to sell a home in the current market, so it’s important to choose wisely. Otherwise, buyers might not bother to pay attention to sellers’ efforts. The photo above is from www.flickr.com/photos/rickmccharles/2269842297 and it is the copyright of Rick McCharles.

Ten places in America to see before you die

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:50:00 -0400

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!