Sotheby’s C. Hugh Hidesley to Conduct Benefit Auction in Greenwich on May 9
Raising Awareness and Support to Protect the Front-Line Soldiers

GREENWICH, Conn. — C. Hugh Hildesley, a Director of Sotheby’s (Canada) Inc. and Chairman of Sotheby’s (Canada) Advisory Board, as well as directing Sotheby’s International Advisory Board, will help raise more than awareness at SFTT’s B.E.S.T. cocktail reception on May 9. Mr. Hildesley will conduct a benefit auction during the event at Richards in Greenwich to support the front-line troops by ensuring that they have the best available equipment to make it home alive and in one piece. In 2007, Mr. Hildesley conducted 62 benefit auctions, raising over $17 million for charitable purposes.

Hosted by SFTT Chair Eilhys England Hackworth and Scott Mitchell of Richards, B.E.S.T. will be held at Richards, 359 Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich, from 6:30 PM to 9 PM on Friday May 9. B.E.S.T. (Best Equipment to Support the Troops) pays tribute to the late Col. David “Hack” Hackworth by raising funds to protect the troops ‘out at the tip of the spear’ that he loved and continues to fight for through his nonpartisan, apolitical, nonprofit legacy foundation, SFTT. Its unique educational and advocacy mission is to see that the Pentagon and our elected leaders in Washington get the right equipment, training and leadership for our US troops by giving a public voice to and providing a candid forum for America’s front-line forces.

Mr. Hildesley has lectured widely on the art market and is author of The Complete Guide to Buying and Selling at Auction, published by W.W. Norton in 1996. He is Chairman of the Executive Committee of the American Associates of the Royal Academy Trust and a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts (F.R.S.A.). At Sotheby’s, he participated as an auctioneer in the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Sale and the sale of the Property of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

Among the donated items that guests may bid on are: a painting from Ernest Garthwaite, a collectible Connecticut artist known for his evocative wetlands and landscape paintings; tickets to a Giants football game; a fall foliage weekend retreat in the southern Berkshires; learning how your stars are aligned, in a reading with astrologist Arlene Marcia Nimark; and dinner prepared by chef Michel Nischan at the Dressing Room restaurant.

L’escale Executive Chef Francois Kwaku-Dongo and Pastry Chef Wendy Laurent are contributing their time and five-star culinary talent by preparing the hearty cocktail fare and pastries that B.E.S.T. benefit guests will enjoy at the event.

Honorary Event Co-Chairs include former U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, former Greenwich First Selectman Jim Lash, TV journalist and best selling author Catherine Crier, and FOX News personality Geraldo Rivera. Shelly Tretter Lynch, a Greenwich resident, is B.E.S.T. Committee Chair.

During the reception, SFTT will be introducing its new Fathers For The Truth initiative and honoring the 2008 recipient of SFTT’s Support the Troops with More than Lip Service Award. The B.E.S.T. minimum donation is $250. To RSVP or receive information on SFTT and B.E.S.T., visit www.sftt.org or call 203-629-0288.

(Pictured are C. Hugh Hildesley and Shelly Tretter Lynch)

I saw this release a couple of months ago and never got around to posting it. We don’t see many chances to talk about luxury real estate in Alabama, but the Legacy Condominiums at Talladega have provided just that opportunity. With the help of publicity from Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Lori G. McDowell of RE/MAX United is hoping that racing fans will flock to these condos just as they flock to the Superspeedway.

-Mark

DALLAS — The "Grande Dames of Texas Realty" is among the panels headlining the National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE) conference, slated to draw media from around the nation to Dallas May 7 through 10.

D Magazine real estate editor and panel moderator, Mary Candace Evans, will quiz Dallas real estate luminaries Allie Beth Allman, Lucy Billingsley, Virginia Cook and Ellen Terry about realty trends in the nation. The panel takes place in the famous Zodiac Room of the original Neiman Marcus. The downtown flagship store, which opened 100 years ago, is a block from NAREE’s headquarters hotel, the Magnolia.

Evans, a prolific blogger with "Dallas Dirt" and a real estate columnist in D Home and Garden Magazine, is widely read in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and known for turning information around in a heartbeat via her iPhone. She is a veteran journalist who understands the ins and outs of the area real estate scene and its major players. Evans began writing for D magazine in 1981 with a story entitled, "How to Burglarize a Home" after interviewing the experts inside a Huntsville prison. She has a masters degree from Columbia University.

"This session will ignite the interest of the visiting journalists from around the nation since Texas holds a certain mystique and is still seeing job creation and an influx of new people, " said NAREE conference chairman Ralph Bivins, who covered real estate at the Houston Chronicle for many years before starting RealtyNewsReport.com.

"Candy Evans is top notch, and will ask her expert panelists some hard hitting questions in a newly renovated Dallas landmark," said Bivins who met with Evans recently in Dallas.

Scores of real estate writers and communicators, from the nation’s leading newspapers, magazine and electronic media, have registered for the 42nd Annual NAREE Real Estate Journalism Conference, which runs May 7 -10 at the historic Magnolia Hotel. Call 1-888-915-1110 and ask for the $129 NAREE rate.

Conference registration is available through www.NAREE.org.

Another highlight of the conference will be the Newsroom Expansion Vignettes.
Texas real estate editors Steve Brown, Dallas Morning News and Emily Spicer, San Antonio Express-News will join Noelle Knox, Associated Press and Jessica Swesey, Inman News to talk about growth, hiring and expanded real estate news coverage in an era blighted with media mergers, buyouts and budget cuts.

Real estate editor Carl Larsen, who worked at the San Diego Union-Tribune for 34 years, will lead a writing and journalism workshop immediately after the Evans panel.

Breaking news on the subprime crisis is expected at the NAREE conference. FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery; Urban Land Institute Chairman Todd Mansfield; and Charles McMillan, president-elect of the National Association of Realtors, are among the headliner speakers.

NAREE’s “Home Selling in the Internet Era” will feature speakers from Zillow, Realtor.com and Google. Other panels cover Boomer housing, the apartment market and the economic outlook. The conference ends Saturday after morning panels on foreclosures and vacation homes.

Top contestants in NAREE’s 58th Annual Real Estate Journalism competition will pick up $10,000 in prizes during the Friday, May 9th banquet. Winning entries will be displayed.

Conferees will tour the trendsetting brownfield redevelopment, Victory. Developed by Ross Perot, Jr. — who will speak to the group — this 75-acre new urban neighborhood has green office buildings and shop-lined streets with condos above. NAREE will see a $10 million penthouse in the stylish “W” Hotel and condo there and hear about Dallas’ future plans for the arts district, downtown and the Trinity River area.

Linda Owen of The Real Estate Council will highlight Dallas’ plans to cover over part of the Woodall Rodgers freeway to link residential with the arts district during the "Parks as a Redevelopment Magnet" discussion at Lucy Billingsley’s One Arts Plaza opening night.

In a tour of historic redevelopment May 8, conferees will learn how the Bass Brothers turned 36 blocks of downtown Fort Worth into "Sundance Square." Train buffs will love the historic T&P train station, still in operation, with adjacent lofts dwellings.

NAREE will board helicopters to tour the Circle T Ranch and the 17,000-acre Alliance development, where a panel will discuss large-scale projects also on May 8.

NAREE, founded in 1929, is a nonprofit organization of 700 writers, editors and communicators.

SAN DIEGO – The Grand Del Mar in San Diego was the site of the 6th Annual Luxury Real Estate Spring Retreat, a vital industry event that attracted more than 250 high-end experts and earned rave reviews from attendees.

The Spring Retreat, which ran from Tuesday, April 15 to Friday, April 18, 2008, featured Ben Stein as the keynote speaker. Mixing in-depth knowledge and humor, the famous actor, economist and lawyer spoke on “The Psychology of Buying Luxury Property.” His participation in the conference was sponsored by Harry Tishler, senior vice president of BVG Incorporated (www.seasonsatsandpoint.com) in Tampa, Fla.

“Real estate is the only good which is both a consumption good and an investment good,” Stein noted in his speech. “Real estate is the best investment in the history of the world. Buy low and sell high, just like the stock market. Prices are low now, which means anybody who is smart will be investing now.”

The other main speaker at this event was Kaira Sturdivant Rouda, president of Real Living, Inc., one of the fastest-growing real-estate franchises in the United States. Her presentation was entitled “Real Marketing for Today’s Consumer.” More than a dozen other experts in a variety of fields moderated discussions and breakout sessions on targeted topics. These topics included generating international referrals, utilizing new technology, understanding current market conditions, marketing across borders and more.

At this event, John A. Daugherty, president and CEO of John Daugherty, Realtors since 1967, was honored with the Luxury Real Estate Lifetime Achievement Award. This is the second time LuxuryRealEstate.com has given this award. The first person to receive it was Diane Turton of Diane Turton, REALTORS® in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J. at the Fall Conference in October 2007.

Attendees offered exceptional praise for this LuxuryRealEstate.com event. “I got more out of three days at this conference than I did in seven years with Sotheby’s [International Realty],” said Tom Palumbo, founder and president of Islands International Realty in Satellite Beach, Fla.

“What had the greatest impact on me was the wonderful energy throughout the three days with a lot of caring and sharing,” said Patricia Hoferkamp, president of New Jersey-based Burgdorff ERA, who led a discussion on creating a culture of service. “The Grand Del Mar was a spectacular venue. This was truly one of the best conferences I’ve attended in a long time.”

“A great adventure has begun,” said Jim Walberg and Ann Marie Nugent, brokers/owners of The Bay Area Team at Keller Williams Realty in Danville, Calif. “The Spring [Retreat] has been the best use of our time in years as we continue to grow and expand our real-estate company.”

“Besides having wonderful networking opportunities at the conference, the breakout sessions were packed with information relevant to today’s marketplace,” said Marie Montchal, vice president of relocation and ancillary services for Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty. “I believe we will all be able to implement some new and exciting ideas as a result of attending the meetings.”

The next LuxuryRealEstate.com event will be the 13th Annual Fall Conference in Philadelphia from October 11-14, 2008. This event will also feature a Post-Conference Networking Trip to New York City. For more information, visit www.luxuryrealestate.com/conference.
 

To commemorate Earth Day, Coldwell Banker Real Estate is touting 8 tips for going green. Happy Earth Day!

Eight Eco-Friendly Home Tips Make Going Green Easy This Earth Day

PARSIPPANY, N.J. – Incorporating eco-friendly measures in homes has moved beyond installing energy efficient appliances and swapping out incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescents – going green is giving home sellers a competitive advantage. With luxury condos touting eco-friendly features like rain water recycling, and home builders incorporating energy saving features into new homes, it’s no wonder real estate professionals say more and more home buyers are asking about “green homes.” In the end, small changes to a home can help the environment and help a property stand out among the competition.

“It makes sense on a number of levels to incorporate green principles into a home and many consumers are surprised at just how easy it is to do so,” said Paula Young, vice president of operations and consumer real estate expert for Coldwell Banker Real Estate, LLC. “Not only is it great for the environment but homeowners are looking at going green as an opportunity to have their home stand out from the crowd.”

The following are eight tips from the professionals at Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, that outline how to make homes sustainable, energy- and cost-efficient now, and appealing to eco-conscious homebuyers:

1. A Ray of Light: South-facing windows provide more natural daylight making a home more bright and cheery. But, more importantly, natural daylight can help keep the indoor climate comfortable during the winter months, allowing a homeowner to set the thermostat a bit lower. Alternatively, drawing shades during key daylight hours during the summer can help cut down on air conditioning needs.

2. Green Gardening: Sustainable landscaping is becoming all the rage to eco-conscious homeowners. Planting native plants, vegetation and shade trees strategically around a yard can keep a home cool during the summer and block cold winds during the winter. And native vegetation will thrive in its preferred environment without requiring excess water.

3. Switch to Green Power: The use of renewable energy in a home, such as solar, wind, water or geothermal, greatly helps reduce pollution. However, installing solar panels or wind generators property can be cost-prohibitive for some. Fortunately, many utility companies in the United States offer options to purchase a form of renewable energy that is cost efficient for the homeowner.

4. Dial it Back: Lowering the settings on water heaters, refrigerators, dishwashers and laundry machines reduces the amount of energy required to maintain the temperature. Installing low-flow sink faucets and shower heads also lessens water consumption.

5. Reuse Rain: Recycling rain water for gardening is another great way to conserve. For example, a water collection system under drains can catch the water and then reuse it for watering landscapes.

6. Less Lawn does More: Eliminate as much of the lawn as possible and plant native bushes, flowers, etc. Depending upon a number of factors (including the climate of the region), homeowners can simply cut back on the amount of space that they have to mow to promote energy conservation in lawn care.

7. Turn Old into New: Refurbish the home’s existing materials when remodeling instead of buying new ones (cabinets, tiles, flooring). If brand new appliances are required, homeowners should make sure they are energy-efficient, and should consider donating their old appliances to be recycled or reused.

8. Insulation is Key: Insulating cold-water pipes will prevent them from dripping condensation, and insulating hot-water pipes will prevent costly heat loss and save on energy bill.

Diane Turton is a New Jersey Realtor who has been serving highly sought-after luxury Jersey Shore resort towns for more than 20 years. This month, the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners recognized her as one of the 30 most successful female business owners.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that Italian real estate tycoon Luigi Zunino has listed his apartment in the Plaza Hotel for $100 million.

A Reuters/Zogby poll released today shows that more than half of Americans think now is good time to buy a house, altough most also think the economy is in recession. Check out the CNBC story here.

It’s true.  In a Condé Nast Portfolio article published today, Phil Scott profiles The Maltese Falcon and takes a look at the market for megayachts.

The estate of movie producer Sidney Kimmel reportedly sold for list price—a whopping $81.5 million. The sale would be a Florida record.

Paulette Koch of The Corcoran Group described the property just a few weeks ago for Ultimate Homes. On South Ocean Boulevard, the 5-acre oceanfront property features a driveway composed of more than 500,000 small stones from the Pacific coast in Mexico, hand-selected on the basis of size, shape and color. Throughout the grounds, orchids stud the trees. Inside, a perfect symmetry of material, space and light elevates the rooms to a higher aesthetic. “Wherever you look in this house, there are view corridors that are really vignettes. Everything is so carefully crafted and thoughtfully placed, it’s truly an inspiration,” says Koch.

Kimmel, 80 years old, is the billionaire founder and chairman of Jones Apparel. He reportedly paid $5.5 million for the estate in 1993.

The home spent just 24 days on the market. Ultimate Homes magazine, due out next month, ranked it as the 10th most expensive home for sale in the U.S.