Luxury Real Estate

Courtesy of Elizabeth Hardy Wade of John C. Ricotta & Associates, Inc.

Have you ever considered the possibility of having a second or retirement home on Cape Cod? Spend a weekend discovering Cape Cod’s year-round charm!

Nestled on the elbow of Cape Cod, Chatham is rich with beauty, history, and culture. Let us introduce you to its famous beaches, architecture, and quaint downtown. The Carriage House Inn will provide you with a delightful place to stay and trusted, local real estate firm, John C. Ricotta & Associates, will host your tour of Chatham.

This special weekend will start with a Wine & Cheese reception when you arrive at The Carriage House Inn. On Saturday morning, after a fresh gourmet breakfast, enjoy an insider’s look at our town. Agents from John C. Ricotta & Associates will introduce you to Chatham, local real estate options, and the Cape Cod lifestyle. There is no place like Chatham, and these local veterans of Cape Cod will delight in sharing our town with you. From condos to cottages to exclusive waterfront homes, interested Boomers will discover the ins-and-outs of purchasing Cape Cod real estate. If you’d like a more in-depth look after the tour, we can arrange for showings or you can explore the town, shop or do more sightseeing on your own. A highlight of the weekend will be a fun and low-key wine and tapas reception held at the former Port Fortune Inn – now a skillfully renovated, award-winning private home!

Baby Boomer transition experts and authors, Dr. William Roiter and Beverly Ryle, who themselves have transitioned from urban careers to life “on Cape” will mingle with guests and be available for any advice or questions you may have. We’ll help you to get a feel for what life on Cape Cod can be! We’re sure the weekend will answer some of the questions you may have about summering or living year round on the Cape. We delight in the opportunity to give you first hand insight into a transition you may have been considering. Here’s what your weekend will include:

· Friday and Saturday night lodging at the Carriage House Inn

· Gourmet breakfast, Saturday and Sunday

· Wine & Cheese welcome party Friday evening at the Inn

· Guided tour of Chatham and select homes Saturday morning

· Saturday evening reception

· Your own copy of; "Beyond Work: How Accomplished People Retire Successfully" by Dr. William Roiter and "Ground of Your Own Choosing: Winning Strategies for Finding & Creating Work" by Beverly Ryle

Here’s what previous “Boomer Weekend” people have to say: “We loved that weekend and The Carriage House Inn. It took a few years but we got our house in Chatham and couldn't be happier. To learn so much about planning for the future in a fun and beautiful environment was a blessing for us. Now we have our real estate foot in the door, and many years of Chatham summers ahead of us before we become year round residents. The Carriage House Inn is such a beautiful place and the warm hosts and delicious breakfasts make it a stand out in our Chatham memories. The downfall of being a resident? No excuse to stay at the Carriage House Inn!” - Beth & Sean, Brewster, New York

 The multi-award-winning Eichardt’s Private Hotel in Queenstown has been bought by a privately-held investment group based in Melbourne, Australia. The Imperium Capital Group has a range of businesses within its portfolio including a number in the hospitality and leisure sector. The sale, which was brokered by Terry Spice of Luxury Real Estate New Zealand was a result of an international marketing campaign which drew strong interest both domestically and from offshore. Christchurch-born Managing Director of Imperium Capital Group, Andrew Cox, said they were passionate business operators looking forward to continuing to build the Eichardt’s brand and existing luxury services, and working with other luxury partners in Queenstown. “This purchase was a strategic investment in an iconic brand in tourism in New Zealand,” he said. “We’re open to looking at other acquisition opportunities in the country now we’ve made this first step.” Mr. Cox said management at Eichardt’s Private Hotel would remain the same and stressed that the company was dedicated to the staff, the community, and retaining and building upon Eichardt’s standing as an iconic destination on the Queenstown waterfront.

By: Juliet Chung and Candace Jackson of the Wall Street Journal

Courtesy of: Joshua & Company

Ringo Starr and his wife, Barbara, are asking $4.5 million for their three-bedroom vacation home near Aspen, Colo.

The 70-year-old Beatles drummer, who continues to tour with his All Starr Band, bought the home in 1990. The wood cabin sits on about 16 flat acres in Woody Creek and has frontage on Roaring Fork River. The roughly 3,200-square-foot cabin was built in 1987 and is surrounded by unused horse paddocks.

"It's like a ranch-ette on the Roaring Fork," says Joshua Saslove of Joshua & Co., a Christie's Great Estates affiliate, who represents the sellers. He said his clients have been using the home less frequently in the last few years. Hunter S. Thompson and musician Don Henley have had homes in Woody Creek.

Courtesy of Garrett McGuire of Ewing and Clark

Downtown Seattle's historic Rainier Club hosts a monthly Real Estate Roundtable. The guest speaker for November's Roundtable was John Brian Losh, Designated Broker of Ewing & Clark Inc. and Chairman/Publisher of LuxuryRealEstate.com, the most viewed Luxury Real Estate website in the world. Recognized as one of the "25 Most Influential People in Real Estate" by Realtor Magazine, Brian began his real estate career when he joined Ewing & Clark nearly 40 years ago in 1971. 

John Brian Losh spoke about the luxury real estate market in the Greater Seattle area and the histories of different neighborhoods including those of West Seattle, Downtown, Belltown, Madison Park, Broadmoor, Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, Laurelhurst, The Highlands, Bellevue and Mercer Island. Brian drew from his experiences as well as his knowledge of the local history to give insight on the luxury market in Seattle. For example, he showed illustrations of how the opening of the canal dropped the level of Lake Washington, significantly adding waterfront real estate to Lake Washington. For those of you that weren't as privileged as I was to have the chance to listen to John Brian Losh speak, then you may want to read about some of the things he discussed in his republished book Seattle Memories. The book is available for purchase on Amazon.com.

Seasons Greetings Everyone and Welcome to My Online Fundraising Auction!

Courtesy of Tim Harris of Tradewinds Realty

As some of you know, I have set a personal challenge to climb Mount Kilimanjaro on January 4th. I expect to summit January 14th and walk off the mountain by January 16th. My ultimate goal in this challenge is to raise $50,000 for Make-A-Wish Foundation Atlantic Canada. To reach this fundraising goal, I am auctioning off my extensive collection of Panoramic photographs. The online auction will run from November 17th to midnight December 3rd. As you will see, I have an impressive selection of panoramic photographs which capture the beauty and character of the province. I am fully funding my own travel, event and climb expenses ($7,000+) and 100% of all auction funds I raise will go directly to Make-A-Wish Atlantic Canada. It is my personal wish that you view and bid on the online photographs and support me in my efforts to benefit this incredibly worthwhile cause.

I have never seriously fundraised for a charity before and I find this a huge challenge in itself. My goals may appear as steep as the climb itself, but each step I take and every penny I fundraise will be worth it. I am keen, excited and overjoyed to be representing the Make-A-Wish Foundation Atlantic Canada. The Make-A-Wish Foundation Atlantic Canada identifies, organizes and grants “wishes” for children between the ages of 3-17 who have life threatening medical conditions. The organization is not-for-profit and wishes granted are funded solely by personal and corporate fundraising events and private donations. The Atlantic Chapter is currently working on granting 8 wishes and there are 8 wishes in the waiting. Wishes are as varied and personal as the children themselves. A child can wish to “be”, wish to “go”, wish to “have” or wish to “meet”...and with your support, we can share the power of granting a wish to a sick child. If you’d like more information on how this organization grants wishes to sick children and enriches this human experience with hope, strength and joy, please visit http://www.makeawish-atl.ca/

Some of you have already mentioned you are inclined to assist me in this fundraiser and I appreciate your generous support of my efforts.

In addition to the on-line auction, there are two ways to give

For more information click here

By: Juliet Chung of the Wall Street Journal

Courtesy of: Heritage House Sotheby's International Realty

Max Weinberg and his wife, Rebecca, are asking $6.5 million for a seven-bedroom, Colonial-style home in Middletown, N.J.

The 8,900-square-foot house, above, is the first home that the prolific real-estate flippers, who also have a Los Angeles home on the market, built from the ground up. The home has a soundproof music room, a movie theater with a lobby and concession area and a pool. There's also a guest house, a 3,200-square-foot barn and a three-acre skating pond that has bleachers and stadium lighting. "This house was great; it should serve another family," says Mr. Weinberg, 59, saying he's downsizing now that his children are grown. The couple is building a smaller home nearby.

The house sits on almost 17 of 40 forested acres that Mr. Weinberg bought in 1997 for less than $1 million. He's keeping the remaining 23 acres. Since the end of "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien" Mr. Weinberg has continued to play with Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and his own band. Mary Burke of Heritage House Sotheby's International Realty has the listing.

The new Alicante airport, known as the El Altet international airport, will be the most modern structure of its kind in Spain when it opens in February 2011, with a capacity for 20 million passengers per year, almost doubling present day numbers.

With the opening of the new terminal, El Altet’s luxurious facilities will cover an expanse of eight floors, topped by twenty spectacular large glass domes. The overall investment in extension work is around 670 million euros and the area has increased sixfold (from 54,800 square meters to 333,500 square meters).

The new airport terminal in Alicante will have an upgraded shopping and commercial area which will include a restaurant owned by the prestigious chef Quique Dacosta, awarded with two Michelin stars. Dacosta's restaurant, called the “Air Tapasbar” will provide a higher quality level and cachet that the previous airport lacked. Quique Dacosta was born in Cáceres, in the west of Spain, but has nevertheless made the Alicante province his home, thanks to his establishment “El Poblet” located in Denia town on the North Costa Blanca.

This commitment to increase the quality of airport services denotes a higher quality of tourism that this area of the coast, the Costa Blanca, is now receiving, as it emerges as the new destination for luxury home buyers.

Courtesy of Kirsty Bryson of Luxury Homes by VAPF

The President of the Valencia Region of Spain, Mr. Francisco Camps, said that the launch of the new high speed railway this December, linking the Spanish capital Madrid to the coastal city of Valencia, and the construction of the Mediterranean Corridor will multiply wealth expectations and competitiveness in the tourism sector. Mr. Camps expressed these words during the presentation of the Global Strategic Plan of Tourism of Valencia for the next ten years, which will reach 27 million tourists.

Thanks to this new fast connection with the capital, Spain is soon to overtake France and have the longest high-speed rail network across Europe and rank third in the world, something likely to create jobs and boost the country’s profile as a place with great transport links and accessibility. The new service will mean that Spain will then have over 2,000 kilometres of rail track compared to France which has 1,900 kilometres of rail track. The new link to Valencia will make the journey from Madrid only 90 minutes long, down from the current time of four hours. President Camps also made reference to the diversification of tourism that has taken place in the Valencia Region, noting that "the sector has been able to look into other fields and different ways to continue growing strongly into the future."

Specifically, the President Camps stressed that, in addition to maintaining traditional European markets, the tourism industry has opened up new markets like Eastern Europe or North America.

Referring again to the high speed train, known as the AVE, Camps pointed out that this infrastructure also must eventually reach the cities of Castellón and Alicante creating the “Mediterranean Corridor ", because only this way will the high speed railway effectively reach the Valencia region, made up of 3 provinces, Castellón, Valencia and Alicante. The AVE is a further boost to the tourism situation in Valencia.

SEATTLE – (November 4, 2010) – For the 2010 Holiday Season, LuxuryRealEstate.com conducted a photography contest to select an image for the cover of its annual holiday card. The card is sent to the entire Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate network, media contacts, partners and other key real estate industry leaders.

This year’s winner, a photograph provided by Bill Redeker of Jess Reid Real Estate of Park City, UT, is of a stunning mountain-side retreat under a blanket of snow.

The runner up was a photograph provided by Barry DeNicola of Barry DeNicola Realty in Naples, FL, showcasing an oceanfront property with a playfully lit palm tree.

The card will also feature a poem penned by LuxuryRealEstate.com Financial Controller James Hughes.

Participating Companies Included:

Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty, Annapolis Realty, Inc., East West Resorts, Diane Dopson Properties, Michael Saunders & Company, Wailea Realty Corp., Long and Foster, Town & Country Real Estate, Del Realty, Weidel Realtors, Sakamoto Properties, Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate, Real Estate of Distinction, HDR Homes, Buckley & Buckley Real Estate, Bella Palazzo, Inc., Handsome Properties, Inc., Willis Allen Real Estate, Tradewinds Realty Inc., Plantation Services, Beacham & Company, REALTORS, Premier Properties of Door County

About LuxuryRealEstate.com

LuxuryRealEstate.com, a 2009 Webby Award Honoree, has been voted ‘Best of the Web’ by Forbes magazine multiple times, praised by the International Herald Tribune, Town & Country, and the Wall Street Journal and has been ranked ‘Best Website’ by consumers according to surveys by the Luxury Institute. Since its debut in 1995, LuxuryRealEstate.com has remained the #1 portal for luxury properties on the internet, consistently driving more traffic to member websites and generating more qualified inquiries than any other website. LuxuryRealEstate.com has several times more $1,000,000+ content of any near-peer.

Also known in the industry as the Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate network, a global collection of the finest luxury real estate brokers in the world, this group of more than 1000 brokerage firms and 95,000 professionals in more than 65 countries collectively sells in excess of $190 billion of real estate annually, with an average sale price of $2,450,000. Members sell homes for record prices and handle transactions of incredible complexity and magnitude with complete discretion. Every member is carefully selected by CEO/Publisher John Brian Losh, one of REALTOR Magazine’s 25 Most Influential People in Real Estate and broker of fine properties and estates through his Seattle-based brokerage firm, Ewing & Clark, Inc.

Market in Brief: Downtown Aspen Commercial Properties in Play - Ducks Lining Up

By Tim Estin mba, gri, Broker/Mason Morse RE, www.EstinAspen.com

Downtown commercial Aspen has seen a concentrated number of properties sell in past 3 months. As in Monopoly, developers are lining up their chips at 40-50% reduced prices from over 2 years ago. The activity is motivated not only by deeply discounted Aspen Core property values from the market peak but also in anticipation of the new downtown Aspen Arts Museum project to be built at the present Weinerstube Restaurant site. This project provides a new downtown focal point and is resulting in an assemblage of critical redevelopment mass on the east side of downtown Aspen that is likely to reshape Aspen's core commercial landscape far into the future. Not to mention Aspen's City Market is finally undergoing a major facelift and upgrade to be completed by June 2011 - coincidental or not? As one who's walked these city streets for more than 40 years, I find it exciting and thrilling to feel this energy and the new possibilities that will convert long 'wasted' downtown parking lot spaces and out-dated buildings with, I hope, more vital and purposeful uses. The historic buildings amongst them will be redesigned in similar fashion to the Conners Cabin and Mother Lode redevelopment projects. Amidst general economic malaise and a dispiriting election season, this is a bright light.

Here's a list and photos of recent activity and Aspen Times and Aspen Daily News articles on downtown Aspen commercial real estate market activity archived in the Aspen Real Estate Archives section at www.EstinAspen.com since early May 2010.

Local News Articles on Downtown Aspen commercial real estate market activity (Since May 2010)

* 11/02/10 'Aspen Legacy': Prime Commercial Aspen Core Property Under Contract, ADN

* 10/19/10 Big Bucks for Downtown Bidwell Bldg, AT

* 9/17/10 Aspen Legacy Property Back on Market, AT

* 9/11/10 Aspen Legacy Property in Downtown Core in Foreclosure, ADN:

* 8/18/10 Former Stage 3 Main St Project Auctioned Off at $3.5M, AT

* 8/8/10 Stalled Development Projects in Aspen, the Valley, AT

5/19/10 Downtown Commercial Bldg Sells for $3.1M, AT

Recent Downtown Aspen Commercial Sales Activity (Since May 2010): MLS #'s 118336, 103689, 117103, 118283 Link is valid for 30 days until 11/30/10

* MLS 118336 / 205 S. Spring St - read details below

* MLS 103689 / 632 E. Hopkins Ave - read details below

* MLS 117103 / 630 E Hyman Ave / Patio Building Penthouse- under contract

* Not in MLS 623 E Hopkins Ave / Suzy's Store - under contract

* MLS 118283/ 517 & 521 E. Hyman Ave & Sw Corner Of Hunter & Hyman Aspen - read details below

MLS 118283/ 517 & 521 E. Hyman Avenue & Sw Corner Of Hunter & Hyman Aspen: An important prominent downtown oversized lot has gone under contract described as "Prime Corner in Aspen's Central Core Little Annie's to Hunter Street, 3 Parcels in 1 Extraordinary Offering! With 150' of frontage on Hyman Ave and 100' of frontage on Hunter Street this 15,000 SF prime corner lot is situated 1&1/2 blocks from the Little Nell and Gondola Plaza and less than 100 yards from Boogie's and the Paradise Bakery in the heart of Aspen's Commercial Core. The Property is alley served across its entire breadth affording investors and developers the opportunity to maximize the use of the Hyman Ave and Hunter Street frontages. The parcels being offered include the real property improvements at both the former Huntsman Gallery Building and the Little Annie's Building."

MLS 118336 - 205 S Spring Aspen, CO: Sold Price: $2,830,000/$2,425 sq ft. This is a downtown commercial lot/redevelopment sale. The existing structure is a 1,167 sq ft, 2bdrm/1.5 bath 1881 built/1965 remodeled home in downtown Aspen located one block north of the existing Weinerstube Bldg where the proposed Aspen Art Museum is planned. It would appear that the redevelopment plan for this parcel would be similar to Conners Cabin behind City Hall. 2009 Taxes: $5,778 sq ft. City of Aspen RETT 1.5% Transfer tax to buyer applies.

MLS #103689 - 632 E Hopkins or 119 South Spring: A commercial building directly across the street from this listing sold the week of May 16th. See Estin Report May 16th blog post on 119 Spring Street, Downtown Commercial Bldg., Aspen, CO: Sold Price: $ 3,100,000/ $ 579 sq ft; Ask Price: $ 3,900,000. (Original Price: $ 6,500,000 and 796 days on the market - typo corrected 5/25/10). This commercial property, 5,348 sq ft, was built in 1976. The listing broker says "Great downtown commercial building. Corner location in the C-1 Zone. Stand alone building with 2 current tenants in place. Double street front in both Spring and Hopkins with dedicated parking for tenants. Total square footage includes 760 basement storage. Total Leasable square footage is 4,588." (Description courtesy of Mason and Morse, Aspen)

Residential Market Highlights- Last Week's Aspen and Snowmass Sales and Under Contract ActivityLast week's real estate sales activity appears below for the upper Roaring Fork Valley for all property types over $250,000 excluding fractionals in Aspen, Snowmass Village, WoodyCreek and Old Snowmass (although Residences at Little Nell and Dancing Bear are included due to their higher fractional price points). Because the MLS link(s) to photos and property details expire after 30 days, photos and descriptions of the closed properties are posted at Tim Estin's blog to preserve an archive of sold market activity.

Last Week's Activity Summary Spreadsheet For the past week's sales and under contract activity, see The Estin Report: Aspen Snowmass Weekly Real Estate Sales Statistics Oct 24 - 31, 2010

Disclaimer: The statements made in The Estin Report and on Tim Estin's blog represent the opinions of the author not Mason Morse Real Estate. They should not be relied upon exclusively to make real estate decisions. A potential buyer and/or seller is advised to make an independent investigation of the market and of each property before deciding to purchase or to sell. To the extent the statements made herein report facts or conclusions taken from other sources, the information is believed by the author to be reliable, however, the author makes no guarantee concerning the accuracy of the facts and conclusions reported herein. Information concerning particular real estate opportunities can be requested from Tim Estin at 970.920.7387 or by email.. The Estin Report is copyrighted 2010 and all rights reserved.. Use is permitted subject to the following attribution: "The Estin Report: State of the Aspen Market, By Tim Estin, mba, gri, www.EstinAspen.com" __________________________________________________