For Sale: Upscale Homes-Big Spenders Necessary
Senior Editor, CNBC
Looking for a new home? No problem. Got $80 million? Better dig deep into the checking account because that's what you'll need to buy one of the homes from America's number one real estate agent. She's Dolly Lenz from Prudential Douglas Elliman. She and CEO Pamela Liebman from the Corcoran Group were on "Power Lunch" to talk about some of the "blockbuster" homes they have on the market.
The $80 million home Lenz talked about has 55 acres in New York on Long Island's Shelter Island Sound. It has two private residences and some 3,000 feet of private sandy beaches. Better hurry--she expects to sell it by the end of the week (it's only been listed since last Wednesday). Lenz wouldn't say who the potential buyer is--but she did say they were a "financial type."
Don't like the beach--no problem. Lenz has a $25.5 million apartment in Manhattan's famous Dakota building--near Central Park. At one time--composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein called it home. It has 11 rooms and recently went under 3 years of restoration.
Liebman also has a New York City place ready for the right bid. It's Bob Guccione's apartment (he of course being the former editor/publisher of Penthouse). It lists for $59 million. It has 28 rooms, 20,000 square feet and an indoor swimming pool and grand ballroom. But if you'd prefer a Florida address--Liebman has a $47 million property in Palm Beach that has 24, 151 square feet.
One a general note--if an prospective buyer thinks they can "negotiate" a price downward--both Liebman and Lenz say that in this type of range--don't expect to wait out a buyer for a better deal.
FYI-believe it or not--selling to someone in high end real estate does have its problems. A recent article in New York Magazine points to the fact that there are a lot of "prospective" home buyers that pretend to be rich--but aren't. Some of these people go so far as to rent a limousine and show up in "borrowed" rich clothing. Some even get all the way to the closing--having passed through some extensive background searches--but when it comes to writing the check--bail out knowing they don't have the money.
