Earlier this year, Simon Anholt released his list of the Top 40 cities in the world, using rankings obtained from more than 15,000 adults in 20 countries. The 2006 Anholt City Brands Index places Sydney at the top of the list, with 12 U.S. cities coming in the top 40. To see the top 10 and the 12 American cities making the cut, go to www.realtor.org.

If you’re planning to move to Texas or to buy property in the Lone Star State, you wouldn’t be alone. According to a recent report from Moving.com, Texas is home to two of the top five cities to which people are moving. Houston and Austin came in second and third, respectively, ahead of Los Angeles and Atlanta. What’s the most popular city right now? Go to http://eon.businesswire.com/releases/moving/cities/prweb519682.htm to find out.

Lennar Corporation, one of the nation’s leading builders of quality homes across the United States has launched two urban themes in Mare Island in Northern California & Central Park West located in Irvine just minutes from the 405 Freeway in Orange County.

Founded in 1954, Lennar builds quality homes for all generations and caters to almost any active lifestyle - such as urban, golf course and suburban developments.

Lennar also offers mortgage services to simplify the home purchase experience as well as other brands to build the home of your dreams such as NuHome, US Home and Village Builders.

Mare Island offers two distinct neighborhoods, Kirkland Isle (starting at $600,000) and The Nautilus Collection by John Laing (starting in the low $500,000s).

Mare Island offers bay views, golf course, parks, trails and direct ferry transportation to San Francisco!

For more information on distinct island living, visit www.DiscoverMareIsland.com

Central Park West is Irvine’s first urban masterplan community that features lofts, townhomes, flats and vertical living.

These eight distinct venues are surrounded by open space parks, 2 pools, recreational facilities, a clubhouse and retail plaza for socializing & shopping.

This new urban lifestyle can be captured from the low $600,000s to over $2 million. For more information on this dramatic urban enclave, visit the CPW living studio in Irvine or visit them online at www.cpwliving.com

3% broker cooperation and private appointments are available.

Oscar De La Hoya, the American boxer who won a gold medal at Barcelona in 1992 and is considered one of the all time greats of the sport has sold his Big Bear lake property for $2.1 million to Tito Ortiz, the mixed martial arts champion.

According to The Los Angeles Times, De La Hoya listed the mountain retreat and training compound for $2.5 million. Since De La Hoya trains and resides in Puerto Rico, the property became expendable. A native of East Los Angeles, the former middleweight champion also owns a home in Pasadena.

De La Hoya, who earlier this month lost a split decision to Floyd Mayweather earned $25 million dollars in defeat. De La Hoya’s interests outside the ring include architecture, design, fashion and singing.

De La Hoya married Puerto Rican singing sensation Mille Corretjer in 2001. The couple has one son and another on the way. De la Hoya has a professional record of 43 wins, 5 losses and 30 victories by knockout. His amateur career record was an incredible 224-5 with 164 knockouts.

Overall, De La Hoya sports a winning record of 264-10.

The former champion is one of boxing’s richest prize fighters with earnings in excess of nearly $400 million just from his cable and pay-per-view revenues.

The Segel residence, designed by one of this century’s important contemporary American architects is on the market for $33,500,000.Located in Malibu, the Segel Residence was designed by architect John Lautner (1911-1994). Lautner practiced architecture and design for more than 55 years, designing unusual and unique residences in and near Los Angeles, California.

Built in 1979, the Segel residence consists of organic use of wood, stone, glass and steel. With 80 feet of beachfront, this one-of-kind estate has 4 bedrooms, 5 baths, 3 fireplaces, a pool and private zen garden.

Born in 1911, Lautner was raised in Marquette, Michigan. A graduate of the University of Northern Michigan, Lautner studied under Frank Lloyd Wright for six years. In 1937 Lautner supervised the construction of two Wright projects. He later moved to Los Angeles to start his own firm.

His work has been featured in films such as the James Bond 007 franchise as well as the Diehard series. In 1970 he became a fellow of the American Institute  of Architects for Excellence & Design.

The property was constructed for Alvin G Segel, a prominent Los Angeles attorney with the firm of Irell & Manella.

The home is listed with Mr. Jonah Wilson of Sotheby’s International Realty.

You can see photos of the property at www.johnlautner.org

You can contact Mr. Wilson at www.jonahwilson.com

According to Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate based in Seattle, Sotheby’s International Realty will be sending a contingent to Vancouver, Canada for an exclusive preview of The Private Residences at Hotel Georgia on Thursday, June 7th.

Sotheby’s International Canada is attracting elite property scouts from as far away as Dubai, Miami, Los Angeles, New York City, Seoul and Germany as part of an overall marketing strategy for the Hotel’s companion development.

The contemporary 48-story residential structure will consist of 155 condominiums and will mark the city’s skyline as the third tallest building in Vancouver.

“There’s no doubt that Vancouver’s high-end real estate is now garnering serious international attention,” says Bruce Langereis, president and CEO of The Delta Group, developers of this $400 million dollar project.

Over the next three years the Delta Group in partnership with Goodman Real Estate of Seattle will completely renovate the landmark, 80-year old hotel.

For more about the historic Hotel Georgia, visit them online at www.HotelGeorgia.bc.ca

Toll Bros. Inc (NYSE:Tol), the country’s largest luxury home builder has announced it will not meet projected earnings due to stricter lending requirements which will result in fewer home upgrades by consumers currently in the market for a high-end property.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Chief Executive Robert Toll said that “twenty months into this housing downturn we continue to face difficult conditions in most of our markets.”

Toll Brothers currently sells luxury homes in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

With tighter lending standards, confidence in the market is not at the levels anticipated by the country’s leading luxury builder.

The Horsham, Pa-based company had projected $4.2 billion to $4.96 billion in sales with net income anticipated at $240 million to $305 million.

Real Trends, the trusted source for news & information on the sales volume and ranking of the country’s 500 largest firms that sell residential real estate released the 2007 REAL Trends 500 list of top firms.

Once again, NRT (National Realty Trust) which does business under several brands including Coldwell Banker and was #1 with $193 billion dollars in sales volume and 392,452 sides of sales. Sotheby’s International

NRT has over 1,000 offices nationwide.

Rounding out the top five were HomeServices of America ($58.1 billion), The Long & Foster Companies ($38.5 billion), GMAC ($13.6 billion) and Prudential Douglas Elliman ($11.6 billion).

Here are the Top Twenty firms:

1. NRT ($193 billion)

2. HomeServices of America ($58.1 billion)

3. The Long & Foster Companies ($38.5 billion)

4. GMAC ($13.6 billion)

5. Prudential Douglas Elliman ($11.6 billion)

6. Prudential Fox & Roach ($11.1 billion)

7. John L Scott RE ($8.8 billion)

8. Coldwell Banker Bain ($7.6 billion)

9. Alain Pinel Realtors ($6.6 billion)

10. First Team RE ($6.2 billion)

11. Realty Executives ($5.8 billion)

12. Allen Tate Company ($5.7 billion)

13. Re/Max Allegiance ($5.5 billion)

14. Prudential Connecticut Realty ($5.5 billion)

15. Coldwell Banker United Realtors ($5.5 billion)

16. Baird & Warner ($5.5 billion)

17. Crye-Leike Realtors ($5.4 billion)

18. Prudential California Realty ($5.3 billion)

19. Hanna Holdings ($5.2 billion)

20. Re/Max Equity Group ($5.1 billion)

The Los Angeles Times is reporting today that mega-movie actor Tom Cruise and his wife Katie Holmes have purchased a Beverly Hills estate for $35 million dollars.

Cruise, the three-time Golden Globe award winner and three-time Oscar nominated actor has been renting in Beverly Hills for several years and the property purchased was not currently on the market.

The home, built in 1937 has seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms. A gated estate, the property sits on 1.3 acres with a tennis court and outdoor pool.

Cruise was married for a third time in 2005 to actress Katie Holmes. They have one child. Mr. Cruise was previously married to actress Mimi Rogers and then to actress Nicole Kidman.

Mr. Cruise is without question one of the most successful actors in entertainment history having earned over $100 million dollars for his role in War of the Worlds and $145 million for his role in the franchise series, Mission Impossible.

Cruise is probably best known for his earlier roles in the Academy Award winning best picture, Rain Man with Dustin Hoffman as well as his Oscar nominated performance in Jerry Maguire. His breakout role was as hot shot pilot Pete Mitchell in the wildly popular Top Gun, the story of a naval fighter pilot who finds himself in life and in love.

Cruise was also nominated for an Oscar in the role as Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic in Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July and played the character Joel Goodsen as the high school yuppie from surburban Chicago in Risky Business.

Cruise attended eight elementary schools and three high schools growing up. He eventually graduated from Glen Ridge High School in suburban New Jersey in 1980. Cruise flirted with the priesthood and briefly attended a Franciscan seminary.

Cruise’s first film was Endless Love with Brooke Shields and then the more substanial role as an out-of-control military cadet in Taps. That film featured Oscar winners Sean Penn, Timothy Hutton and the late George C. Scott.

The world’s #1 female golfer has been named Director of Sports Wellness for Tahoe Mountain Resorts.

Annika Sorenstam, the three-time winner of the US Women’s Open has 86 professional tour wins of which ten are major LGPA events.

She has been named the ROLEX Player of the Year a record 8 times and the only female golfer to shoot a competitive 59. Annika became the first female to play in a Men’s PGA event (2003) since 1945.

Born in 1970, the Swedish born golfer resides in Orlando, Florida. Before turning pro, Sorenstam played at the collegiate level at the University of Arizona.

Elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame, Sorenstam was the AP Female Athlete of the Year in 2003-05.

Tahoe Mountain Club membership includes world-class sporting, recreational and social activities. With three outstanding golf courses (Old Greenwood, Coyote Moon and The Golf Club at Gray’s Crossing), Annika will kick-off the grand opening of Gray’s Crossing on July 9th.

To learn more about Tahoe Mountain Resorts, visit them at www.tahoemountainresorts.com