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Just off the shore from South Beach, Fisher Island offers total seclusion to roughly 800 families

Fisher Island is only 7 minutes by ferry from Miami, but the 216-acre island is worlds away from South Beach. Perhaps that is because its history is so unique. In 1905, to provide better seaport access, Miami cut through the barrier island that today is known as Miami Beach. This created an island that business tycoon Carl Fisher purchased in 1919 but traded to William K. Vanderbilt II in 1925 in exchange for Vanderbilt’s 265-foot yacht. After Vanderbilt died in 1944, the island—on which Vanderbilt had commissioned famed architect Maurice Fatio to build him a Mediterranean-style compound—changed hands until development began in the 1980s. Today, about 800 families from more than 40 different countries inhabit this uber-private oasis, where life revolves around the Fisher Island Club, which opened in 1987 on the site of the Vanderbilt Mansion. Residents—a mix of highflying CEOs and entrepreneurs—drive around in golf carts, send their children to the Fisher Island Day School (which offers Mandarin classes) and use amenities such as the community’s own medical clinic and safety department.

Event of the year

The Yacht Rendezvous, which benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, is one of the world’s biggest annual superyacht social gatherings. Each fall, guests spend three days participating in events such as yacht open houses and a silent auction. More than $30 million has been raised in its 32 years.

Advice for the buyer

Know what scenery you want: Residences facing the Atlantic Ocean have expansive vistas during the day but no view at night; city-facing units don’t look out at the ocean but they do enjoy a city skyline and a Biscayne Bay view.

Membership to have

Belonging to the Fisher Island Club isn’t a requirement for residents, but if you aren’t a member, you won’t have access to the club’s facilities, including a beach club with a private beach.

Notable stops

The Fisher Island Hotel and Resort

This 15 room boutique hotel is made up of courtyard villas, 1930s-era cottages and guesthouse suites that near the Vanderbilt Mansion.

The Fisher Island Aviary

William K. Vanderbilt II loved tropical birds, and this 800-square-foot sanctuary is an ode to his passion. It houses more than 15 exotic winged animals, ranging from cockatoos and cockatiels to macaws and Amazons.

The Vanderbilt Theater

The adaptable event space is a hub of activity, hosting everything from concerts to lectures to movie nights.

Victor Arsidi Observatory

On its own tiny island across a wooden bridge, this sky-viewing hideaway was built in 1990. The white stucco building has a custom silver Ash Dome and professional telescope equipment, including a 4-inch refractor scope and a 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain.

Listings

$5.7 million

At 3,690 square feet with South Beach views, this residence in a concierge building with 29 units. The master suite’s bathroom has two vanities and a separate tub and shower; the closet has built-ins. There are marble floors, Miele kitchen appliances, and Baccarat lighting. Outside, there is a terrace. The unit comes with two parking spaces, one golf cart, a golf cart space, and a large private storage unit. Agent: Elena Bluntzer, One Sotheby’s International Realty.

More Listings Here

via@mansionglobal

January 10, 2020ZONEZI No commentsConstruction, Marketing|News, News

Aston Martin chose to debut its first SUV, the DBX, last November in both Los Angeles and Beijing. Launching in China makes total sense, because the Chinese now have the biggest auto market in the world, and they’re in love with both high-end luxury cars and SUVs.

Introducing the car, Aston Martin Lagonda President and Group CEO Andy Palmer pointed out, “DBX is a car that will give many people their first experience of Aston Martin ownership.” That’s true for the 107-year-old British marque, and also for other supercar companies venturing (out of necessity) into SUV land—Maserati and Lamborghini included.

“With the introduction of the DBX we’ve radically extended the versatility of the Aston Martin brand,” says Aston public relations head Nathan Hoyt. “We expect the DBX to significantly broaden the number of potential buyers, bringing in people who couldn’t fit a two-door, rear-wheel-drive grand tourer into their lifestyle or the environment they live in. Our first SUV can work as a true, seven-day-a-week option for buyers.”

The DBX will be built at a new Aston Martin plant in St. Athan, Wales, which will also be home to the electric cars that are in the brand’s future. The DBX will reach U.S. customers later this year, priced at US$192,986 (including a US$3,089 destination charge).

“We anticipate the U.S. to be the biggest market for DBX,” Hoyt says. “Other key volume markets will be China and Europe.” Stateside, the company’s strongest markets are on the west and east coasts, plus parts of the south and southwest.

The SUV form has inherent styling limitations, but that said, the DBX definitely carries on the family tradition, especially in that classic grille that dates back to the DB 2/4 of 1953. It became iconic with the DB5, a.k.a. James Bond’s car. The side profile is nice, too, giving the impression of the company’s trademark fastback coupes, though rear-seat passenger headroom could suffer. The rear end, which a lot of people in lesser machinery will be seeing, isn’t its finest hour.

The DBX, with a body of bonded aluminum, is impressive on paper. The twin-turbo four-liter V8 is shared with the DB11 and Vantage models, and produces 542 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, channeled through a nine-speed automatic and an all-wheel drive system. Fuel economy numbers for the U.S. haven’t been released yet.

The DBX can reach 181 miles per hour and, despite its 4,940-pound bulk, zero to 60 comes up in just 4.3 seconds. The five-passenger SUV is the most practical Aston Martin ever, with 54 cubic feet of storage with the second row of seats down, and 22.3 cubic feet with them up.

The DBX is, of course, opulent inside. There’s a nod to Tesla with a full-length glass panoramic sunroof, and it’s coupled with frameless door glass to produce a light and airy cabin. The Scottish firm Bridge of Weir, which supplied Aston cars beginning in the late 1960s, plus Saab, DeLorean, and the Lincoln Continental Mark II, does the full-grain leather seats.

Storage space is usually at a premium in supercars, so Aston was determined to make the DBX different. It has a long covered center console (optionally wood framed) for valuables and also deep door pockets. There are two screens, 10.25 and 12.3 inches. The 800-watt Harman/Samsung sound system boasts 14 speakers.

Early birds get more than a worm in this case. The first 500 customers will benefit from the “1913 Package,” including sill plaques and fender badges, plus a personal inspection and endorsement from Andy Palmer himself. That kind of exclusivity pays off at resale time.

Also keeping value up is loading up on the option lists, and Aston has a full range of accessory packages. The US$33,700 Event Pack includes a fold-down bench built into the rear bumper, a modular picnic hamper and (as in Rolls Royces) umbrella storage. The US$31,375 Field Sport Pack includes an aluminum gun cabinet and a “shooting stick.”

More down to earth and probably more popular is the US$1,825 Essentials Pack, which includes a center console organizer, heated front cup and (for the kids) tablet holders in the second row. The US$3,400 Pet Pack features a partition for keeping the dog in the back, a rear bumper protector to save the paint job, a dog accessory pack, and a battery-powered portable dog washer.

And don’t forget the Snow Pack, which adds a ski rack, tire chains, and boot warmers. If you keep checking boxes, you’ll end up with a bespoke car cover, child seats, locking wheel bolts, a surfboard holder, a bike rack, and a six-piece luggage set.

In 2015, Aston announced that it raised US$307 million in an equity issue, designed to fund “its expansion into crossovers,” according to Reuters. The DBX is one result of that gamble on new models. Also coming from Aston—and another big departure—is the Rapide E, the company’s first electric car. Total production will be 155, a number that doubles as the car’s top speed.

The Rapide E, with 602 horsepower from its twin, rear-mounted electric motors, rockets to 60 miles per hour in less than four seconds. Range from a big battery pack will be more than 200 miles. “The car is still under development,” Hoyt explains, so no release date yet. There’s also no final price, but Hoyt says to expect it to be in excess of the US$239,000 you’d pay for the Rapide AMR.

via@Barrons

January 10, 2020ZONEZI No commentsNews

Top 10 Most Expensive London Homes

They include a very special detached seven bedroom family house in Kensington, an exclusive five bedroom apartment overlooking Kensington Palace Gardens and a stunning newly built luxury home of grand proportions totalling 14,358 sq ft.

Phillimore Gardens, Kensington, London

For Sale, 38,560,411 USD

A very special detached seven bedroom family house with off-street parking and a lovely south-west facing garden backing onto Holland Park. This impressive and wide house occupies approximately 6,520 sq ft and is very well arranged over five floors.

One Kensington Gardens, Kensington Road, London

For Sale, 33,419,023 USD

An exclusive five bedroom apartment overlooking Kensington Palace Gardens. An exceptional development, designed by Sir David Chipperfield, of 97 apartments situated opposite Kensington Palace and Gardens with world class amenities.

Greybrook House

For Sale, 32,080,073 USD

The penthouse at Greybrook House is the epitome of luxury nestled in the heart of Mayfair. The apartment has been designed to a phenomenally high standard and spans approximately 4599 square feet across two floors.

Elysian House

For Sale, 25,022,457 USD

A stunning newly built luxury home of grand proportions totalling 14,358 sq ft. This must-see masterpiece is set on Ingram Avenue, a highly sought-after leafy road in Hampstead Garden Suburb which is defined by absolute privacy by backing directly onto Turners Wood Bird Sanctuary. The property is within walking distance to Kenwood House as well as Hampstead Heath.

St Edmund’s Terrace, St John’s Wood, NW8

For Sale, 20,531,247 USD

A stunning four bedroom Penthouse apartment (350.3 sq. m / 3770 sq. m ) positioned within this luxury development and accessed via one of two private passenger lifts, The property benefits from an amazing wrap-around balcony offering breath-taking views across Primrose Hill, Regent’s Park and the London city skyline.

via@propgoluxury

December 13, 2019ZONEZI No commentsNews, Real Estate

“I’m a real estate developer and this is a developer’s dream,” spoke Lela Goren, a NYC-based developer and investor during a UN Habitat event as she looked over a scale model of Oceanix City—a floating city concept that could be deployed around the world. In this era where the value of and need for coastal property throughout Asia is so high that dozens of countries are creating hundreds of square kilometers of artificial land for urban development, her words resonated throughout the room. Not only may floating cities be a salve to help to mitigate the impacts of rising sea levels, but also a way for governments and developers to create vast swaths of much-coveted space for highly profitable coastal development by building out into the sea in a more environmentally sustainable way than land reclamation.

“Most cities are located nearby water and this number will also increase in the next decades,” said Kees-Jan Bandt, the CEO of Bandt Management & Consultancy. “This was already the case a hundred years ago: water is life and always has been a center of economic activities.”

For this reason, coastal cities have been drawing people towards them at an ever-increasing rate. Nearly three million people move from the countryside into cities each week, with the bulk of this migration heading to coastal cities, which now contain over half of the world’s population and are, quite literally, bursting at the seams. This is a situation that is expected to only grow more dire, as UN Habitat predicts that by 2035 90% of all mega-cities—metropolises with over 10 million people—will be on the coast.

Over the past decades, coastal cities across Asia have been responding to the need for more land by simply making it themselves. Land reclamation—dumping or corralling sand in aquatic areas to create new land—has grown to bonanza-like proportions, as Asian cities build arrays of high-value housing, luxury shopping malls, entertainment facilities, transportation infrastructure, and even entirely new cities where there was only open water not long ago. From 2006 to 2010, China was tacking on an additional 700 square kilometers of new land each year. Malaysia is engaged in mass reclamation work for the 700,000-person Forest City project as well as a slew of luxury developments in Penang and Melaka. Sri Lanka’s capital of Colombo reclaimed enough land to build an entirely new financial district that’s meant to rival Singapore. South Korea built the Songdo “smart city” entirely on land expropriated from a bay. Dubai has turned reclamation into an art. While upwards of 20% of Tokyo and nearly 25% of Singapore is on land that nature didn’t make.

“In some Asian countries it is sometimes easier, quicker, and, on the long-term, cheaper to reclaim land from the sea than develop on existing land because of land ownership,” Bandt explained.

Could floating cities be the answer?

via@forbes

December 3, 2019ZONEZI No commentsNews

Money isn’t everything, but we all deserve to be spoilt once in a while.

Sometimes cutting costs isn’t worth it. Remember the dodgy haircut you got from that budget hairdressers? It’s just a trim, you said, before walking home with a fringe at least an inch above your eyebrows. You get what you pay for in life. With that in mind, we’ve put together this list of some of the priciest homes in our collection, ranked from least to most expensive.

15. The Sanctorium, Lisbon

You’ve seen marble floors, you’ve seen marble countertops, but have you ever seen a marble feature wall?

From £816 per night

14. Hispaniola, Milan

This pool is a work of art in itself – you don’t even have to get your feet wet to enjoy it.

From £817 per night

13. Pegasus, Rome

We wouldn’t dare leave a stool out of place, let alone a dirty plate in the sink, in this immaculate home.

From £1041 per night

12. Gold Standard, Copenhagen

Unless you’re an exhibitionist, Gold Standard might feel a bit exposed with all those windows. We say throw caution to the wind.

From £1158 per night

11. Opulent Ruby, Barcelona

Any home with its own bar gets a tick in our books.

From £2027 per night

via@plumguide

November 15, 2019ZONEZI No commentsLife Style|News, News

Expo 2020 will do much more than bring millions of people to Dubai for more than six months starting next October.

The event will vault the Middle East city to the front of the world stage while simultaneously giving a jolt to its real estate market.

In fact, the boost is already underway.

In this special Mansion Global report, we’ll take a look at how the event is poised to reinvigorate the market; look at the new developments launching sales; delve into top neighborhoods for people moving to Dubai; and take a tour of the city’s unique architecture.

Additionally, notable residents will give an inside scoop on Dubai’s culture and their favorite aspects of the city.

Dubai Looks to Expo 2020 to Reinvigorate Its Property Market

Catalyst. Turning point. Boom. These are the hopeful words stakeholders in Dubai’s housing market have used to describe the effect of Expo 2020, a world’s fair launching one year from this month.

The mega-event, which will run from October 2020 to April 2021, is expected to draw tens of millions of visitors to Dubai, including new transplants and investors, who have the potential to revive the city’s depressed housing market, according to analysts and top real estate developers

via@mansionglobal

November 8, 2019ZONEZI No commentsMarketing|News, News

The Lamborghini 2020 Huracan Evo Spyder

Lamborghinis seem to bring people together, particularly pearl green, sleek ragtops like the 2020 Huracan Evo Spyder. With the cabin exposed to the sky, it dares onlookers to engage. “Talk to me,” the Spyder purrs—and people do.

Here’s what happened when Penta took out the Evo Spyder for a spin: pedestrians, other drivers, all and sundry felt an urgent need to make friends. Folks ask to swap cars, honk, or whoop. Children wave and smile, instinctively recognizing a thing of beauty. On the Major Deegan Expressway, in New York state, of all places, they graciously let you merge into heavy traffic.

The 2020 Huracan Evo Spyder is an expensive ride, to be sure—$287,000 base price ($365,000 as tested, thanks to 20-inch forged Narvi rims; a “pearl effect” paint job, and carbon skin, among many other bells and whistles). That’s comparable to prices of rival super sports cars in the same power range. For those able to afford it, and who prize a thrilling racing experience off the track, the Evo Spyder packs a lot of punch in a relatively small package. With the top down, the ride lives up to Lambo’s marketing: “open air exhilaration.”

Like its cousin, the Huracan Performante, this two-seater is powered by a 5.2- liter, 640-horsepower, V10 naturally aspirated engine with a bold timbre. Expect to be heard before you’re seen. The Evo sports a seven-speed dual clutch-automatic transmission, which can be toggled at will.

via@barrons

November 6, 2019ZONEZI No commentsNews

The home has access to amenities in a neighboring luxury development

A modern houseboat moored on the River Thames that comes with a suite of hotel-like amenities has hit the market asking £1.75 million (US$2.25 million).

The floating three-bedroom residence, which was listed earlier this month, is docked off a gated pier where the Thames runs through the London suburb of Wandsworth. It also has access to a range of perks housed at the neighboring Riverside Quarter development, where there’s a mail room, pool, on-call concierge, steam and sauna rooms and several gyms, said Guy Bradshaw, head of London residential at United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty, which is listing the home.

The houseboat features the kinds of lavish finishes associated with a new home in prime London. Light, warm materials make the interiors feel spacious, including heated limestone floors, oak-paneled walls and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the water.

An eat-in kitchen spans half the lower level and opens onto a terrace for easy al-fresco dining.

via@mansionglobal

November 4, 2019ZONEZI No commentsNews, Real Estate

From sandy beaches to snowy ski slopes, the Lake Tahoe area offers year-round outdoor recreation.

The scenic views and attractions make Lake Tahoe a popular stop for tourists and a great place to own a luxury home. Here’s a look at some of the top homes that have hit the market in Lake Tahoe, courtesy of Compass real estate:

$2,650,000

4 bedroom

3 bathroom

1 half bathroom

3,705 square feet

This “brand new mountain retreat with classic alpine elements” is located in Truckee, northwest of the lake and tantalizingly close to golf courses, trailheads and a craft brewery.

The home sits behind the sixth hole of a nearby golf course. A rooftop deck offers panoramic views of the area’s scenery.

$2,749,000

6 bedroom

4 bathroom

This light-filled alpine custom remodel is located within walking distance of Lake Tahoe beaches in Incline Village, Nevada.

The home features high ceilings, hardwood floors and an “opulent” fireplace.

via@foxbusiness

October 30, 2019ZONEZI No commentsNews

Hedge funder Steven Schonfeld is about to close on a deal that will hand him the keys to the most expensive mansion in U.S. history, according to a report.

The oceanfront property in Palm Beach, Fla., a half-mile south of President Donald Trump’s private club, Mar-a-Lago, will reportedly set the billionaire back just under a little less than $200 million in the off-market deal, the New York Post reported.

The South Ocean Boulevard home has 10 bedrooms, 16.5 baths, a pool and a tennis court. The estate spans roughly 34,775 square feet, according to Zillow, which lists the home as off the market.

Schonfeld would be privy to the 350 feet of oceanfront and around 230 feet of frontage along the Intracoastal Waterway.

The home is owned by beauty mogul Sydell Miller who cofounded Matrix Essentials Inc., a hair and beauty line, the Post reported.

via@foxbusiness

October 30, 2019ZONEZI No commentsNews