Jennifer Patterson of Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty in Tenafly, N.J., represented both the buyer and seller in the $11.8 million sale of the Alpine, N.J., estate that graced the cover of Unique Homes’ August/September issue.

Patterson sold the home for builder/owner Mark Malas, whose inspiration came from castles and chateaux in Europe. Although eminently livable, handcrafted finishes render each room as perfect as a Faberge egg. The details, from the massive wrought-iron entry doors to ceiling motifs that include painted domes and coffers, add to the artful elegance.

“Nothing about this house is ordinary,” Patterson said. Minutes from Manhattan, the location is extraordinary as well.

The buyer reportedly also purchased an estate in Greenwich for $22 million, another cash transaction.

Click on the thumbnails below to view images of this amazing home.

Donald Trump’s much publicized Palm Beach mansion has a new price, $100 million. Along with the $25 million price reduction, Trump also turned the listing over to Lawrence Moens, a Palm Beach broker who has a reputation as a low-key but highly effective deal maker.

When it debuted on the market in 2006, the estate’s $125 million price tag made it the most expensive property for sale in America and generated a great deal of attention. It took the No. 1 spot in that year’s edition of Ultimate Homes and most importantly it was one of the first, if not the first, to break the $100 million price point.

While the media has always focused on price, what makes this estate so important, according to Moens, are the 6.75 acres and almost 500 feet of unobstructed oceanfront. Also significant is the location itself, which he describes as“prime, one of the most desirable places on the Eastern seaboard.”

Another change, according to Moens, is the potential that the property could be sold as two separate parcels or a single compound.

—Camilla McLaughlin

Pop star Michael Jackson may lose his Los Olivos, Calif., Neverland Ranch this month if he can’t raise enough money in the next two weeks to prevent an auction slated for March 19 at the Santa Barbara courthouse. Some reports indicate he has already avoided the foreclosure, but we’ve yet to see an official indication.

Click here to see CNN’s Feb. 27 story.