Luxury Clues

Andalucia

This property is located in the hills above the New Golden Mile only a 5 minutes drive away from San Pedro de Alcántara.

Listing provided by Point2Homes.com

Billion Dollar Agent - Lessons Learned

Newcomer to the real estate business Steve Kantor has a new book called the Billion Dollar Agent - Lessons Learned. Kantor interviewed 70 agents who have sold or are en route to selling a billion dollars or more of real estate. The interviews contain a wealth of information picking up where Gary Keller's book, the Millionaire Real Estate Agent left off. Kantor summarizes his findings at the beginning of the book and then lets the agents tell their own stories about how they built their businesses, their strategies for lead generation, as well as their strategies for lead conversion. What's interesting is that several themes pop up repeatedly. The first is that virtually every agent Kantor interviewed wishes that they had hired an assistant much earlier in their career. One of the things that can hold any top producing agent back is doing $10.00 per hour activities such as picking up cleaning, filling brochure boxes, or going to the post office. Another important characteristic is how many of these agents are actively involved in giving back to their community. I normally don't recommend a lot of books, but this one is a must read!  The book retails for $29.95; order your copy today!

Posted by Bernice Ross
RealEstateCoach.com

$19,000 Refrigerator

Made by Meneghini, the Italian designed refrigerator is one of the most expensive refrigerators in the world.  Hand made cabinets  hide the unit and can be combined with a coffee maker, ice machine,  or a micro Combi steam oven unit.  The cabinets are made to fit the décor of the room and size.

Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants
Personal Branding & Marketing

New Entry in the Billionaire Poll

Tim Blixseth will be marketing his ten bedroom, fully furnished home at the exclusive Yellowstone Club in Bozeman Montana. The 53,000 square foot home on 160 acres will be listed at $155 million. The property provides a gondola to the private ski areas, an indoor-outdoor swimming pool, plus a theater. Perhaps Montana will out pace Beverly Hills, Manhattan, and Miami in the race for 2007's most expensive property.

Posted by Bernice Ross

Billionaire Poll--Which House Would You Buy?

We want to hear from you on this one. Which of these three properties will sell for the most in 2007? (BTW, you don't need to be billionaire to buy any of these three properties--a mere $500 million net worth is enough.)

Frank McKinney's 8.78 acre Intercoastal lot in beautiful Palm Beach is priced at $85 million (that's without the house--estimates are that if he builds the house, it will retail for $135 to 165 million). McKinney calls himself the "King of Ready Made Dreams." Will he make someone's dream come true in 2007?

Donald Trump's mansion, just down the road from the McKinney property and is priced at $125 million. The mansion is on six acres with 475 feet of Atlantic Ocean beachfront. It has 18 bedrooms, 22 bathrooms, 3 guest cottages, and a 4100 square foot conservatory that overlooks the beautiful Palm Beach views. According to inside sources, the Donald may move in himself. Interested buyers are predominantly American businessmen and Europeans.

Or the Saudi Prince's property in Aspen priced at $135 million which includes a 56,000 square foot mansion, 15 bedrooms, 16 baths, tennis court, stables, indoor and outdoor pools, plus a heated driveway (who wants to worry about shoveling snow?)

Which one would you buy? Let us know!

Posted by Bernice L Ross
RealEstateCoach.com

A KICK START TO THE YEAR WITH A CAN OF PEPSI

Pepsi is giving away a can valued at $100,000 made of sterling silver and studded with diamonds, rubies and sapphires, adorned with the Pepsi and NFL Logo.  For a chance to enter, go to Pepsico.com.   The winner will be announced during the game on Feb. 4th. Pepsi’s sales have been lagging, and they came up with this campaign to kick start their year. 

This is a great example of a Buzz Marketing—getting people talking and spreading the good word about a brand. We strongly recommend buzz marketing strategies for luxury agents which is our expertise.

Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants
Personal Branding & Marketing

The Bluest Day of the Year--Today!

Feeling down? Depressed by the depressing weather? Overwhelmed by the stack of holiday bills plus the bill for your estimated and property taxes as well? Colin Fernandez (The Daily Mail) reports that a new study by Dr. Cliff Arnall of Cardiff University shows that January 22, 2007 is the most depressing day of the year. According to Dr. Arnall, six factors contribute to making today the "bluest" Monday of the year: weather, debt, time since Christmas, time since failing to keep New Year's resolutions, low motivational levels, and the feeling of a need to take action. Now I know why I felt like staying in bed, eating chocolate, and watching old flicks. The good news, according to Dr. Arnall is that 85 percent of us expect things to get better--Cheers from jolly old England. 

Posted by Bernice L Ross
RealEstateCoach.com

Where Was the Most Expensive U.S. Sale in 2006?

Which state had the most expensive sale in the U.S. in 2006? California; Florida; Hawaii; New Jersey; New York

If you answered New Jersey, you were right. Although asking prices for the most expensive home in America are hovering at $135 million, the most expensive closed sale for 2006 was $58 million for a 10,000 square foot home in Alpine, New Jersey. The original asking price was $85 million for this property located just 5 miles from Manhattan . The seller was Clay Frick, heir to the Frick Collection of fine European paintings. The buyer was Richard Kurtz who plans to subdivide the 63 acre property and build a number of new estate homes.

Posted by Bernice L Ross
RealEstateCoach.com

High Flyers: Is It Time to Place a "Put" on Your House?

One of the most exciting innovations for 2007 is the creation of a real estate futures market. The contracts are based upon the Standard & Poor's Case-Schiller Metro Area House Price index. This tracks price changes on exiting homes in ten major metroplitan markets. For your ultra high end buyers and sellers who are worried about a decline in prices, they can now hedge their home's value. Experts also predict that we will see many new products entering into the market to address this opportunity, including "equity insurance." Imagine setting a price on a listing based upon whether the futures market is up or down. Do those of us who work the high end of the market need to be thinking about becoming a different kind of licensed broker?

Posted by Bernice L Ross
RealEstateCoach.com

Match.com for Luxury Brokers

At the upcoming Luxury Conclave to be held in Dana Point next week, Paul Boomsma, Executive Vice President of the Luxury Portfolio, will share the stage with me to discuss how luxury brokers can demonstrate their value to the most affluent clients in the world. Paul described this process of matching luxury buyers with the right properties in much the same way that Match.com matches people who are dating. Paul suggests that you must consider who owns the property. Do the owners fill their home with "designer" labels? What profession are they in? Are they formal or informal? When you list a house, you must match the profile of the current owner with the potential buyer. 

For example, many of today's luxury buyers are "new wealth." They have worked hard for their money and know the value of a dollar. According to Paul, they dream of having time off and living a luxurious lifestyle, even though most continue to be workaholics after they close the property. Paul says it's important to tap into their hopes and dreams. "Imagine the parties you can host in this luxurious setting--everyone will want to attend." Discover what is unique about the property--what's special about the construction, who has lived there, who the famous neighbors are, what makes the neighborhood special, etc. Sharing the unique qualities of the property including the personal anecdotes about the present or past owners is critical when marketing luxury properties. Part of your value as an agent is helping the buyer make their real estate fantasies into reality. 

Posted by Bernice L Ross
RealEstateCoach.com