The Real Estate Blog

There’s a new world record in the real estate world! A mysterious Russian billionaire has beaten his big-spender rivals and paid €500,000,000 for one of the most sumptuous villas on the French Riviera: Leopolda, situated in the region Alpes-Maritimes, between Nice and Monaco.

Now after looking at that number,  you might be thinking to yourself that I  maybe made a mistake by hitting the zero key a few too many times? Well, I assure you, that is the correct monetary amount! The Villa’s cost is really five hundred million euros.

Could you imagine what an unbelievable (Russian) invasion in French territory? It’s true that Russians have always been emotionally tied to French culture, language and manners. Since the early 1990s, Russian oligarchs, drawn by memories of the Riviera-old Russian aristocracy, have been piling into seaside properties at Cap Ferrat, Cap d’Antibes, Saint-Tropez and the other great playgrounds. However, this is by far the biggest purchase of it’s kind.

At the beginning of 20th century, Leopolda was  the residence of Belgian King, Leopold II. Later on, during the First World War, it was transformed into a hospital for wounded soldiers. The present owner of Leopolda is Lily Safra, Edmond Safra’s (of Safra Bank) widow. There were times when Safra organized luxurious parties where you could see in attendance Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra and other greats. Before Safra, the Leopolda was Giovanni Aghelli’s property - the owner of Fiat.

One more interesting fact, according to Nice Matin newspaper, recently it was a rumor that the buyer of this villa would be Roman Abramovitch, the famous owner of the football club Chelsea, But it turns out that this is not the case and the buyer is still an enigma

Jean Pierre, a high-end agent, said to Le Parisien:

“It’s completely surreal and we are really uneasy. We don’t dare any more to propose any price below €100 million for these clients. Anything below and they throw you out…and you should see how they do it”.

It’s yet unknown who’ll be the new owner of this royal palace, but it seems that French society is not delighted that it is a Russian

The Nice Matin said: “At this price tag, we are beyond luxury and even reality.”

Le Parisien noted also that in this region the sun doesn’t shine for everybody. In Maritimes people live in the poorest condition on national level.

It seems that Hollywood stars don’t like to stay in the same houses for too long. Actress Michelle Forbes has placed her house in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills on the market for $1,150,000. She purchased this house last summer for $1,199,000, according to public records.

Located in Hollywood Dell, the 2,124-square-foot (sitting on a small 4,530-square-foot lot) house went on the market on July 7.

Big Time Listings reports that Forbes’ four-bedroom house has two and a half baths, included also is a Bonus Room. Built in 1965, the “loft like” house also has wood-beamed vaulted ceilings both in the master suite (which has walls of glass windows) and in the living room (which has a fireplace.

For those who are interested in buying a new house, this lovely contemporary home has beautiful gardens, with mature trees, which makes the house more desirable for buyers. It also has an open patio and equipment included are:

• Cable
• Ceiling Fan
• Dryer
• Garbage Disposal
• Hood Fan
• Phone System
• Range/Oven
• Refrigerator
• Satellite
• Washer

The reasons why the actress is changing her house again so quickly are unknown. Is this a business deal, or maybe just the character of an actor who doesn’t like monotony and stagnation not only in front of cameras, but also in other aspects of life?

In an article of Allison Waldman, she describes herself in this way.

“As an actor, you want as much variety as you can muster up. Otherwise you just keep playing the same chord over and over again.”

Glad to notice that the continual relocations of the actress don’t disturb her from being at the top of her career. In the same article, we read:

She’s currently making HBO’s new drama In Treatment appointment TV, drawing her loyal following to find her latest work as she did in 24, Prison Break, Homicide and Battlestar Galactica.

Photo: © bergproperties.com

Tennis star Mats Wilander has placed his estate near Sun Valley, Idaho on the market for $8,500,000. Wilander bought the 80 acre property with his former model partner in the 1990s.

The estate has a large exercise room and a soundproofed music room, and comes with a guest house, caretaker’s residence, lap pool and hot tub. As The Wall Street Journal reports, there’s strangely no tennis court because the couple want to create a retreat away from tennis for their four children.

According to Big Times Listings, this is not the only house Wilander has owned.

Photo: © Bill on Capitol Hill

Celebrities seem to enjoy constantly buying and selling property. Indeed, it might even be a favorite occupation for some.

Not long ago, comedian Norm Macdonald purchased a second-floor unit at 212 Marine Street in Santa Monica. At first, it was unclear who the owner was to be, but dedicated and curious reporters soon found out more details.

As Los Angeles Times reports, the news that MacDonald just bought a two- bedroom, two-bathroom loft in Santa Monica with ocean views for $1.8 million was real.

According to Big Times Listings, this is isn’t the only Los Angeles-area property that Macdonald has owned. In October 2000, his STC Trust purchased a house in S. Stanley Drive in Beverly Hills for an undisclosed price. Ownership was later transferred to his ex-wife.

Athird-floor, 1,680-square-foot condo unit at 117 N. Gale Drive in Beverly Hills was purchased late in 2002.

Photo: © Pupkin