Luxury Real Estate

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 Frederick Peters, President of Warburg Realty

Life is a negotiation. Whether it is with our partner, our children, our extended families, or our co-workers, we are engaged in the give and take of negotiation every day. But the degree to which our personalities and engagement styles inform HOW we negotiate is something we rarely consider. Take me, for example. I have a big personality and a lot of opinions, but at heart I am much more bark than bite. I want everyone to be happy. I want consensus. So I have to be on guard all the time in my business life lest this desire to make people happy compel me to give away too much too soon.

Over the years I have both observed and participated in thousands of sales and rental negotiations. Here are a few things that I have learned about how personality shapes negotiation:

· You must figure out your own style and learn both how to use it and how to control it. For me, that has meant harnessing my enthusiasm in order to generate excitement and good will while at the same time knowing that much of the time I just need to shut up.

· In the same way, you have to be aware of the negotiating style of your customer or client (or broker, or partner, or boss, or mother). The CEO, who is always in a hurry and views every decision from 30,000 feet, needs accurate facts and an overview NOW. He will make a quick decision if you are on hand with what he needs. The CFO, on the other hand, may need to come back and measure everything a few times and will be extremely deliberate. He probably will NOT make a quick decision. And the scorched earth negotiator needs to be met, calmly, with the countervailing facts.

· Silence is golden. Biting your tongue will both stop you from giving too much away and at the same time create an environment in which your counterpart, for the same reason, may be tempted to over-speak. One cardinal rule of negotiation is that less is more when it comes to talking.

· If your clients or customers are a couple, watch THEIR interaction carefully. It will be up to you to understand how they make decisions, and it is rarely as straightforward as it appears at first. The talky one with the big opinions (in my marriage, ME!) is not necessarily the one whose desires will carry the day. Once again, silence is golden. If you stay quiet and observe, you can develop a perception of their negotiating style as a couple which will help you sort their priorities and make the right deal.

· It is NEVER strategic to lose your cool. Your frustration is your problem. Buyers and sellers can easily become emotionally involved in the transaction, so as agents it is our job not to let those emotions hijack the interaction. The best decisions are always made by cool heads. Maintaining a friendly professional demeanor will create good will no matter what your part in the deal. Having a tantrum will do the opposite. It is always your choice.

Managing a negotiation never involves just the price, the closing date, the terms. Managing a negotiation involves addressing all the subtle ways in which each participant either helps or hinders the issues and personalities to coalesce into a successful transaction. And the more conscious we all are of the psychological and stylistic issues which shape our responses, the more effective we are likely to be.

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

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.

Courtesy of Rodeo Realty

Greg Moesser of Rodeo Realty will be speaking at the 3^rd edition of Prestige MLS Luxury Real Estate Congress. A renowned expert in the field, he will provide unique insight and analysis on hot topics related to Luxury Real Estate, Marketing, web and social media.

Greg Moesser : “Attracting European Buyers in USA” Greg Moesser, is Vice President of the Private Estates Division, Rodeo Realty and the Director of LA Classic Estates, a luxury boutique agency based in Beverly Hills, California.

He is considered one of LA’s leading agents and specializes in the highly Los Angeles Westside neighborhoods of Berverly Hills, Bel Air, Hollywood Hills and Malibu. As a specialist in California luxury Properties, ha assists international buyers seeking USA properties. He has represented clients worldwide, including buyers from Europe, Russia and Dubai.

For more information about Rodeo Realty, visit their website.

For more information on the 3^rd Prestige MLS Luxury Real Estate Congress, visit their website.

Courtesy of Fuller BCV Sotheby's International Realty

Beaver Creek, CO (January 2012)—Fuller BCV Sotheby’s International Realty, a leader in the sale and purchase of luxury residences throughout the Vail Valley, is proud to announce its sponsorship of the Steadman Clinic Vail Cup. Free and open to youths age 14 and under, the race series includes a variety of ski and snowboarding events for all abilities beginning on January 22^nd and ending with races and a barbecue on March 18^th. A detailed schedule and information is available at www.VailCup.com.

“We’re very excited to be a sponsor of this tremendous community event, which has been part of the Vail Valley since 1963 and has become a great way for kids and their parents to be introduced to and experience various types of competitive skiing and snowboarding,” said Kraig Forbes, head of the Fuller BCV Sotheby’s International Realty office and a leader in the local real estate market since 1995. “The event represents the incredible ‘winter sports spirit’ that exists here in the Valley and that our team is very proud to be part of. We invite anyone and everyone to join us at the event for a hot chocolate during the races!”

In 1963, the newly formed Ski Club Vail hosted its first Rocky Mountain Ski Association race, and the Vail Cup was born. More than 40 years later, the Vail Cup was reborn as an exciting and challenging series of events encompassing all programs offered by Ski & Snowboard Club Vail (SSCV).

• Events on 5 Sundays (January - March) with a Finale BBQ on the last day (a complete schedule is available at www.vailcup.com)
• Events held on Vail Mountain's Gold Peak and at the Vail Nordic Center
• Includes a combination of two of the following events each day: Giant Slalom races, Moguls, Nordic and Park & Pipe
• Open and free to youth ages 14 and under
• Open to skiers and snowboarders of all abilities
• No Ski and Snowboard Club Vail membership is needed - Buddy Werner, Devo, Bevo & independents welcome
• Includes Downhill Dash ski/ride-a-thon scholarship fundraiser

Fuller BCV Sotheby’s International Realty is a proud member of the local business community, providing unparalleled marketing and support services to their clients who are buying or selling a home in Vail Valley. As a Sotheby’s International Realty® affiliate, Fuller BCV Sotheby’s International Realty has access to SIR’s comprehensive website and will advertise in the quarterly publication Connoisseur, which has a circulation of over 65,000 in both the Vail Valley and Denver markets. Now more than ever, the firm is uniquely positioned to help buyers and sellers navigate today’s market challenges and opportunities.

About Fuller Sotheby’s International Realty

Fuller Sotheby’s has seven office locations in the Denver metro area, including Downtown, Cherry Creek, Boulder, Evergreen and Castle Pines, as well as additional locations serving select mountain communities such as, Vail, Summit County and Grand County.