MIAMI – The World is the first and only private residential community at sea.  This extraordinary 12-deck, 644-foot vessel first set sail in 2002, and officially sold out four years later.  As is the case with any private community, select apartments become available for resale from time to time.  One such apartment that is now available is Apartment 1110 & 1108, whose more than 4,000 square feet make this the largest apartment onboard, with five double en suite bedrooms, one double en suite study bedroom, two living areas, two dining areas, two kitchens, both with laundry facilities, and 150 square feet of verandah space.  The apartment is priced at $17.5 million, and can comfortably fit up to 12 people.  More information on the apartment can be found at www.theworldsuite.com

Apartment 1110 and 1108 is custom-designed, ideal for large families or groups of friends visiting the ship together, as its connected living spaces have internal dividing doors and private entrances for assured space, privacy and flexibility.  The apartment is one of only a few to offer both bow and port views with two heated whirlpool spas on the 150-foot verandah.  The en suite study bedroom offers a quiet place to use the internet or a convenient extra sixth bedroom for children or an Au Pair. 

The ship’s overwhelming success and the increased demand for bigger, more luxurious apartments led to 1110 and 1108 as a multi-suite living option for the well-traveled, discerning guest.  These combined apartments have been cleverly configured with internal doors (some disguised as book cases) allowing for a variety of rental options with either two, three or five en suite bedrooms. 

The World’s continuous worldwide itinerary allows for the only home ownership with views of more than 470 of the world’s finest cities, beaches and ports including Hong Kong, New York, Sydney, London, Antarctica, Venice, St. Petersburg and the Seychelles.  In addition, The World is offering three unique Expeditions in 2009 – a voyage through the Sea of Cortez in May, a journey along the Bering Sea in August, and a trek through Papua New Guinea in late-November.  The World will also make a maiden call in Seoul, South Korea in October 2009.  

Each suite within the apartment is outfitted with a range of amenities including sophisticated home entertainment centers in the living rooms with a comprehensive supply of the latest movies and music; space for private, catered meals; dining areas with wet bar facilities; fully equipped kitchen and laundry areas; stunning views from floor to ceiling windows; Internet, fax and phone services; cable television, and more.  Other onboard offerings such as daily housekeeping, private chef services, dry cleaning, concierge and 24-hour room service allow those onboard to be free to explore and enjoy the ship.  The World offers four high-quality restaurants, an expansive fitness center and The World Spa by Banyan Tree, a golf simulator, onboard theatre and art gallery, marina for water sports, and much more.

The unique ship offers 165 homes aboard, and pricing for residences starts at approximately $1.4 million.  Additionally, many private residences are available for rent, with a minimum six-night stay required.  For further information on Apartment 1110 and 1108 pricing, and for a full listing of the 2009 itinerary, please visit www.aboardtheworld.com

About The World:
The World® is the only residential community at sea, allowing its Residents and Guests to travel the world without leaving the comforts of a private home.  There is an average of 150 adventurous and like-minded explorers onboard at once, traveling to intriguing destinations all over the globe.  The ship offers an elegant and intimate travel lifestyle with impeccable service and amenities that deliver a personalized and bespoke experience.  Discerning travelers can travel in one of the 165 private residences aboard The World or elect to own one of the select homes available for resale. For more information about residential purchase options or vacation experiences, please call ResidenSea Management, Ltd. at 1-800-970-6601 in the U.S. or Canada or + 1-954-538-8400 outside the U.S.; or visit www.aboardtheworld.com

The newest addition to the extensive and comprehensive real estate inventory available at Condo.com, River Cities Condos, is sure to stand out amongst the competition. As CEO of River Cities Condos, developer and 30-year boating enthusiast David Nelson conceptualized the company’s initial offering, The Marquette, after spending 19 years living on a houseboat in St. Paul, Minn. The Marquette offers buyers the unique opportunity to travel thousands of miles without ever having to leave the convenience and familiarity of their own homes. The 600-foot-long, 108-foot-wide vessel formed by four barges will be topped with 185 to 200 condos, which will travel 6,600 miles along the Mississippi River, connecting rivers and intracoastal waterways annually.

Thirty crew members will join the 350 residents aboard The Marquette, which boasts a long, open-air center atrium complete with plants, benches and six elevators for accessing the vessel’s various levels. Each condo, ranging from 528 to 924-plus square feet, is complete with a private waterfront balcony and will be able to access high-definition television as well as high-speed Internet.

Full-year, six-month, four-month and two-month purchase plans are available, ranging from estimated prices of $54,600 for two months spent in a 528-square-foot condo to a full year at $499,000 in a 924-square-foot residence; Homeowners’ Association fees are an additional cost and pay for staff salaries, port fees and insurance costs.

Serving to enhance the cruising experience will be amenities such as 24-hour concierge services, pools and hot tubs, an 18-hole half-acre golf course, a theater and a library. River Cities Condos arranges for land transportation but leaves land activities up to the realm of its residents’ imaginations.

Rivercitiescondos.com offers a video introduction, as well as scheduled informative online meetings.

– Sarah Binder

Depending on how you look at it, entrepreneurs are either hindered greatly by the current financial climate, or they are best positioned to weather these uncertain times. Either way, bold self-promotion these days can’t hurt, and real estate daredevil Frank McKinney continues his unique career with the February 13th co-unveiling of Acqua Liana, his $29 million green mansion in Manalapan, Fla. and his three new books: Burst This! Frank McKinney’s Bubble-Proof Real Estate Strategies; The Tap; and Dead Fred, Flying Lunchboxes, and the Good Luck Circle.

Guests to the soiree, who are asked to dress in Valentine’s Day or Friday the 13th-inspired costumes, will enjoy “Friday the 13th Manalapan Mojitos” while awaiting the traditionally dramatic arrival of McKinney and the debut of his island-inspired estate, which will be hidden beneath a massive curtain.

The first home of its size to be certified green by the U.S. Green Building Council and the Florida Green Building Council, Acqua Liana lies on 1.6 acres and encompasses three stories and 15,000 square feet. The seven-bedroom, 11-bath residence is accompanied by meandering water gardens, floating sun terraces, a waterfall spa with a fire feature in the water and a guesthouse partially submerged in a lagoon. A 2,180-square-foot oceanfront master suite, fitness studio, oceanfront glass office, two glass elevators and a glass wine cellar are just a few features of the green masterpiece.

Proceeds from sales of the books will benefit McKinney’s Caring House Project Foundation, which creates a self-sustaining existence for underprivileged families across the globe.

For more information on the event, the three books, Acqua Liana or McKinney’s real estate philosophies, visit www.Frank-McKinney.com

– Sarah Binder

The Wall Street Journal posted a story on the private Caribbean island owned by timber magnate, Tim Blixeth. As it turns out, Blixeth is willing to part with the 5-acre Turks & Caicos island paradise for $75 million. The unique twist is that he has offered to trade the island property for another valuable hard asset— possibly a Gulfstream jet, or maybe even a New York apartment.

Make no mistake—caressed by the turquoise waters of the Caribbean—the island is truly a tropical paradise. Here, one will find a 30,000-square-foot residence with nine bedrooms, a guesthouse, several docks, a manmade beach and even a retractable bridge that links the private island to the mainland.

Check out the story in the Wall Street Journal’s real estate section.

—Robert Burke

Though the Kaiser Estate has changed hands since the early 1950s when businessman Henry J. Kaiser used it as his Portlock, O’ahu home, the landmark estate—currently listed for $80 million—continues to awe.

In the 1950s the waterfront estate was purchased by millionaire siblings the Goldman Brothers and quickly became a sanctuary that charmed the likes of movie stars, royalty, statesmen and presidents.

In the late 1980s, Japanese real estate mogul Gensiro Kawamoto obtained the property for $42.5 million. But, in 1994 he gave the property up. And by 2000, the estate was under new ownership.

Today, the 5.5-acre property is owned by multi-media mastermind Fred Chan and his wife, Annie. The estate has evolved over the years and currently boasts a private boat dock; a 12,000-square-foot, three-story boathouse; a harbor; a 15,000-square-foot main house with a diving pool.

Resting gently against the slopes of Koko Head, the entire property can be purchased for $80 million or in three parcels. For $28 million a buyer receives a 1.9-acre parcel; listed at $18 million is a 1.6-acre landscaped parcel with tennis courts; and for $34 million comes a 2-acre boathouse parcel that includes a private harbor.

The Kaiser Estate holds its appeal today not just through its location and features, but its price tag. If the estate is sold in full for the $80 million asking price, it will set a new record for Hawaiian real estate.

The property is being listed by Mary Worrall and Elizabeth Worral Daily of Mary Worrall Associates Sotheby’s International Realty.

—Lauren Varga
 

Living at the water’s edge continues to peak the interest of luxury buyers from around the world.

Recently a 16-acre waterfront property hit the market in Miami. The price—an astounding $225 million.

The parcel, located in Bal Harbour and currently the home to the Bal Harbour Beach Club, is considered to be the last developable oceanfront site in the area.

Zoned for 300-plus condominiums, the property is certain to catch the eye of hoteliers, developers and investors alike.

Thorpe Sotheby’s International Realty is handling the listing. For more information on this amazing property, please visit www.thebalharbourbeachclub.com/index.html.

—Robert Burke

Raising the Roof highlighted this great property. Check out the post here: Raising the Roof

Angela C. Eliopoulos of Global Owner Properties at the Georgetown and McLean offices of Long & Foster Real Estate-Washington Metro area was recognized as the national award winner for Most Unique Property by Leaders in Luxury, a networking symposium for upper-tier Realtors.

Hosted annually by The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing, Leaders in Luxury represents an exclusive, invitation-only educational and networking opportunity for the top 100 luxury agents nationwide who work in the million- and multi-million dollar housing market.

The Realtor collective met in Miami for the event, where Eliopoulos’ entry was chosen by an advertising agency executive from Dallas-based Brand Agent.

Eliopoulos’ winning estate is a 4,200-square-foot waterfront penthouse, complete with a roof-top sundeck, a wine cave with a talking “ghost,” and a “stealth limo” with the purchase of the home. Eliopoulos said, “Not only was this a fabulous luxury condo, it had a long list of unique features and surprises. It was a joy to market!"

Eliopoulos continued, “Attendance at Leaders in Luxury is important to an upper-tier level professional’s success. With the current real estate market, we have to be proactive to stay on top of market conditions. By networking with the best in the business, sharing ideas, and learning about the latest trends and outlooks, we can help my affluent clients find success where others are finding challenges.”

—Holly Marie Busacca

Encompassing nearly 5,000 acres of fenced and cross-fenced land, and home to a population of whitetail deer, turkey, ducks, quail and boar, Flying G Ranch is being listed with a price tag of $50 million.

Developed as a hunting and cattle ranch north of Okeechobee City in South Florida, the Flying G Ranch offers buyers pastures, palmettos, marshland, a fully stocked bass lake and upland bird fields. Multiple facilities are in place to establish this listing as a comfortable residence as well as a hunting and shooting property. Relax in any one of the oak hammocks throughout the ranch and take in the serene sounds of nature.

The ranch’s main lodge is constructed with rustic appeal and five bedrooms. Enjoy creature comforts, such as an outdoor barbecue fire pit and a seating area that can accommodate up to 30 guests. Additional living arrangements include a two-bedroom guesthouse; a three-bedroom caretaker’s cottage; and four three-bedroom staff homes.

For the sportsman, the property is complete with a five-stand clay tower equipped with a rifle and target range; a six-stall horse stable; dog kennels; an aviary; cow pens that can house up to 1,000 head of cattle; and dairy and buggy barns. The ranch is also in position for a conservation easement or alternative land preservation program.

This exclusive listing, which is easily accessible via major roadways or by flying in and making a clean landing on its helipad, is being offered by William C. McDavid of Hall and Hall, and Eric M. Bylin of BlueGate Partners, LLC.
 

—Lauren Varga

In the heart of Tuscany, set outside of Cortona, rests one of Italy’s most extraordinary estate homes—one so noteworthy its appearance on the real estate market is something that only comes about una volta in una luna blu—once in a blue moon!

For the first time in nearly half a millennium, Villa Fontana is gracing the luxury home market with momentous poise, offering potential buyers the opportunity to own more than an estate, but possess a piece of history.

Impressive gates dated 1777 and a cypress-lined drive leads to a dominant 18th-century façade, providing abundant accommodations, including 16 bedrooms, 10 baths, and 6 reception rooms—set on three floors. A fourth floor windowed tower offers lake views, and the property includes a guesthouse with 2 bedrooms. The grounds complement the Etruscan architecture with a limonaia (literally a lemon house, or orchard area for fruit trees and native plantings), and the property holds a long-standing history with botanical societies, ultimately presenting the gardens as a pristine example of trees and plantings that were nurtured over the centuries. Most unique attribute?—A consecrated chapel set towards the back of the villa.

The estate home is on the market from Knight Frank and Abode for 8 million Euros—over $10 million USD—and is a true example of timeless elegance and the sweet sentiment of generations of family history. Benvenuto alla dolce vita—Welcome to the sweet life.

—Holly Marie Busacca 

Photos courtesy Rupert Fawcett of Knight Frank. To contact the selling agent for more information, e-mail Rupert.Fawcett@KnightFrank.com

 When the Yellowstone Club debuted in 1999 it captured lots of attention and its fair share of big names from business, sports and government. After all, who wouldn’t want to have their own private place to play in Montana’s Big Sky country especially when it comes with a totally private ski resort, Warren Miller as director of skiing and security headed by a former member of the Secret Service?

As idyllic as it sounds, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the club. The much publicized divorce of founders Tom and Edra Blixseth coupled with ambitious expansion plans led to some of its current financial difficulties. In mid-November the club filed for bankruptcy. According to a comment released to The Associated Press, the club has been unable to secure financing with its creditors and bondholders. Read about it here.     

—Camilla McLaughlin