Samuel Sloan Estate – Historical Mansion in New York State with Modernized LEED Certified Upgrades

A stunning historical mansion in New York State is on the market for $11,250,000. The luxury Samuel Sloan Estate offers amazing views of the Catskills, West Point Academy and the gorgeous countryside along the Hudson River. In addition, the luxurious historical mansion offers modernized LEED certified upgrades.

The Samuel Sloan Estate blends the past with the future, in a truly authentic way. The historical mansion in New York State sits on over 16 lush acres.

Kenneth J. Moore is the President of Classiques Modernes International Realty and represents the fully renovated Philipstown estate. The list price is $11.25 million. Moore says, “The first thing that hits you is its impressive scale. The original structure had baronial rooms that needed to be reimagined to complement today’s more intimate entertaining style. The volume remains–the soaring ceilings were kept–but the new residence now enjoys both formal and casual living spaces.”

Built in 1864, the railroad magnate’s house was originally known as Oulagisket. It underwent various transformations. In 1910 Samuel Sloane Jr. and his wife Katherine redesigned the home, renamed Lisburne Grange. Fletcher Steele, was one of the 20th century’s most glorified landscape architects. He augmented the estate’s surroundings with beautiful gardens and scenic lookouts. Enjoy breathtaking nature views.

The ingenuity of the historical mansion’s modernization is both poignant and dynamic. The new homeowner will appreciate the home’s energy efficient redesign, amongst a luxurious setting.

In 2014, the façade changed from Italianate to Greek revival. As a result, it features a two-story portico. Note the imposing columns, serving as a foreground to a full-width second floor loggia.

Samuel Sloan Estate

The expansive interior spans about 11,800 of livable square footage. Additionally, the full-sized cellar and attic offer 10,000 sq. ft. of supplementary amenity, storage, and utility spaces. The estate features six bedrooms, six full and three half baths. Plus, find a full floor dedicated to entertaining and recreation. Hence, it ensures plenty of room for sumptuous living. Also, the 3,500 sq. ft. carriage house can also be transformed into a three-story auxiliary house. Perfect for either guest and staff suites.

Classiques Modernes co-founder, Loy Carlos states, “Even among best-in-class properties, it’s a trailblazer. The visual I often use is driving. There is a healthy balance of looking forward, of checking the rearview mirror, and of still being aware of the present. This house pays homage to its history It’s equipped with the conveniences and luxuries of today. But it keeps a keen eye towards the future. Lastly, it promotes an evolutionary and principled lifestyle.”

From entertaining to weekends away from New York City, the Samuel Sloan Estate is just an hour away. In addition, the historical mansion is a stone’s throw away from Bear Mountain, Cold Spring and many other destinations. The luxury property offers so much for the nature-loving, environmentally-conscious homeowner. This historical mansion is not only about improvement. It serves as a stepping-stone to the future of real estate.

The Life of Luxury works with real estate professionals all around the world. We can help you locate the perfect luxury home.

Are you looking for a historical mansion like the Samuel Sloan Estate to be your next home? Return soon, to read about the best luxury homes anywhere.



4 Tips to Consider Before Selling Your Luxury Home

If you decide selling your luxury home, it can be difficult to do. But once the decision is made, you may be ready to move ahead quickly with the process. At first glance, you may think that you can simply hire a realtor and list the property on the market. However, there are a few helpful steps that you can walk through initially that can prepare you and your home more fully for the process. We want to share 4 tips to consider before selling your luxury home.

Pricing and Paperwork

The list price for selling your luxury home is critical to enjoying the best results. While you may want to get the best price possible for your property, overpricing may turn off many buyers and result in less interest in the home.

On the other hand, if your list price is too low, you may leave money on the table by agreeing to sell the home for less than it is worth. Some underpricing strategies, however, can spur a bidding war that drives the price higher.

Your luxury real estate agent should complete a detailed comparative market analysis to help you price the home appropriately for a fast and fair sale. Data research and market exploration will be completed, and the home’s amenities, size, location and condition will all be taken into account.

High-tech features, such as a lavish home entertainment system or smart home technology, boost the value of the home. Ensure that your real estate agent is aware of all of your home’s features. It can also be helpful to pull out the property’s blue prints, the survey and your mortgage documents before listing the home for sale.

Review your mortgage payoff information to ensure that the list price will cover the mortgage payoff amount. The survey and blue prints may be provided to an interested buyer upon request. If selling your home quickly is important, you can consider using a concierge auction service rather than walking through the traditional sales process.

Marketing

Your real estate agent will help you to learn about all of the marketing techniques and strategies available when listing your home. Keep in mind that proper marketing for a luxury home involves more than just placing a sign in the front yard and the listing in the MLS.

A good real estate agent will take time to learn more about your property’s key features to determine the target audience. The listing will have descriptive wording that appeals to the specific target audience identified. A detailed listing will showcase the luxurious benefits of the house and sell the lifestyle that your target audience desires. The agent will also actively market your home in as many online real estate platforms as possible.

When selecting your agent, focus on the marketing strategy they will use as well as their other listings in your community. Look for an experienced agent who understands your neighborhood’s appeal and who has several listings nearby. Consider researching the real estate agent online. If their website ranks high in local search results, you can rest assured that the agent knows how to market a property online as well.

You should also ensure that their website is mobile-friendly because many buyers use smartphones and tablets when looking for properties. An experienced real estate agent is also no stranger to social media sites, such as Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter. Open houses are also effective at creating interest in luxury homes, so ensure that’s part of the plan as well.

luxury home decor

Photography and Staging

Many buyers today will scour online listings before deciding which homes to tour. They will make a snap judgment about their interest level in your home based on the online pictures linked to your listing.

A smart idea is to work with a home staging expert to beautify your home before having professional photos taken of your property. Staging a home makes it more attractive and accentuates its benefits.

Photographs may motivate potential buyers to visit your home, but scents can trigger old memories, lure people to stay longer and act on impulse. Consider taking that one smart step ahead by leaving freshly baked bread or cinnamon rolls in the oven or burning essential
oils and scented candles before the arranged visit. However, keep in mind that burning candles left unattended or active appliances could cause serious damage.

Many luxury home buyers will have virtual reality home tours before deciding to see it in person. So, after a professional stager has emphasized the best features of your home, you can then look for a professional photographer and videographer to create visuals that will help to sell your home quickly and for top dollar.

Public Open Houses

When listing your home for sale, you will need to prepare yourself for potential buyers and real estate agents to tour the home. Most people will not make an offer on a home sight unseen . Some may even want to tour the home two or three times before deciding to make
an offer.

Others are only in town for a short time, so you should plan to make your home ready for a tour at short notice. In fact, you may only have an hour or less to clean up your mess and leave the home. Many real estate agents will respect your wishes, however, if you request a
24-hour advance notice for home tours.

The last thing you want is for your home listing to result in theft of property. So while selling your luxury home, do not entice others by leaving valuables out (electronics, artwork, jewelry etc.). If necessary, get a safe or an off-site storage unit to secure valuables while your home is on the market.

As you can see, a lot of time and effort is put into preparing a home to list for sale. A great starting point to consider is to look for a reputable real estate agent to assist you. The agent may then make staging tips or recommend an experienced stager and photographer to assist with the next steps in the process. While it can take time and strategy to sell a luxury home, the end result will be well worthwhile.

Selling your luxury home can be a challenge. But it also can be a rewarding experience. The Life of Luxury can help you through the process. We work with many top realtors around the world. Return soon and follow this popular luxury blog.

Author: Sandra is a freelance writer based in Ohio. When she is not writing about lifestyle or self-improvement, she enjoys reading, swimming and spending time with her Lab dog Buzz. You can follow her on Twitter @SandraMoncadaOh

Photo: Pexels




$90 Million Luxury Owlwood Estate Sold in California

A gorgeous luxury home recently sold in Holmby Hills, California. The purchase price for the Owlwood Estate was an eye popping $90 million. The historic home is located in a very affluent neighborhood in the district of Westwood, in west Los Angeles.

The buyer of this $90 million luxury estate was Sturmer Pippin Investments, LLC. Mercer Vine is an emerging, Los Angeles-based real estate firm and represented the buyer. Adam Rosenfeld is the firm’s founding principal and was quoted, “Rarely has there existed an estate that combines a truly legendary past with even greater future potential. Mercer Vine’s goal was to reach a deal that gave the buyer the financial flexibility and profit potential needed to reimagine the Owlwood Estate. After months of careful planning and negotiation, this deal ensures that the estate will remain part of Los Angeles real estate history for years to come.”

The Owlwood Estate home buyers will partner with Woodbridge Luxury Homes on future renovations. Woodbridge Luxury Homes is a highly respected company that focuses on increasing home values across luxury neighborhoods. Their expertise is utilized by focusing on modernizing classic estates. They always take into account a home’s rich history in all of their remodeling projects. As of this date, there are no concrete plans that have been announced.

The beautiful home was built back in 1936. It is an expansive property that offers 12,200 square feet of living space. The upscale estate was designed by architect Robert D. Farquhar. It has a distinct Tuscan-style design and exudes luxury at every turn.

There are two adjacent lots that are now part of the current property. This land was not part of the original estate. As a result, the total acreage now is greater than 10 acres in size. The Owlwood Estate address is 141 South Carolwood Drive in Holmby Hills.

Bob Shapiro is the head of Sturmer Pippin Investments and CEO of Woodbridge Luxury Homes. He was quoted, “The Owlwood Estate has been the unchallenged symbol of uber-luxury since being built during the Great Depression, and we will keep it that way for another 80 years. We fully intend to honor this property’s legendary past by ensuring it remains the absolute definition of luxury living for wealthy buyers from around the world.”

Owlwood Estate staircase

Since it was built, Owlwood Estate has been owned by a bevy of noted celebrities and business owners. The list includes singers Sonny & Cher, actor Tony Curtis, the founder Hotel Bel-Air Joseph Drown, as well as Joseph Schenck – the co-founder of 20th Century Fox. What a VIP experience it must be to actually live in this incredible luxury estate.

As a reference, there are many multi-million home listings in the greater Los Angeles area. The luxury real estate market is red hot in SoCal. Here is a list of currently available homes for sale:
673 Siena Way, Los Angeles – $47,900,000
9719 Heather Rd, Beverly Hills – $35,000,000
44 Beverly Park Cir, Beverly Hills – $31,000,000
46 Beverly Park Cir, Beverly Hills – $29,995,000
355 S Mapleton Dr, Los Angeles – $26,500,000

Are you ready to make your dream of owning a luxury home a reality? Start a living a life of luxury!

If you are looking to purchase luxury real estate like the Owlwood Estate, please contact us today. We work with many of the top luxury home agents around the world. Come back soon to follow our luxury blog.

Photo: Mercer Vine




Russian Mikhail Prokhorov Denies Buying Luxury Home

Villa Leopolda

Mikhail Prokhorov, worth about $22 Billion, said he was not the mystery buyer of the southern France property. The estate is listed as the world’s most expensive home.

The Villa Leopolda in Villefranche-sur-Mer, on the Côte d’Azur in France, sold for 496m euros ($730m ; £392m).

Although Mikhail Prokhorov’s spokesman has denied the rumor, both French and Russian media have insisted that the Russian billionaire had purchased the property.

In addition, sources close to the Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, deny that he was behind the big-ticket purchase.

The home was built in 1902 for King Leopold II of Belgium and has grounds so grand that it takes a reputed 50 gardeners to tend them.

The sumptuous villa has been graced by world leaders and superstars.

The previous owner, the late banking billionaire Edmond Safra, is said to have entertained Ronald Reagan and Frank Sinatra there.