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    An Apple Cofounder’s Sprawling Central California Ranch Sells to The Wildlands Conservancy

    After first popping up for sale back in 2013 for nearly $60 million, and then undergoing several price chops through the years, a 14,100-acre Central California ranch long owned by Apple cofounder and former CEO Mike Markkula and his wife Linda has finally been snapped up by The Wildlands Conservancy.

    One of the largest historic landholdings in Monterey County—stretching a lengthy eight miles through the Upper Carmel Valley—the massive spread was acquired by the San Bernardino County-based nonprofit in late July for a still hefty $35 million. Funding was provided via a mix of public and private financing, with the largest $24 million chunk coming from the California Wildlife Conservation Board.

    The traditional homeland of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County, the conservancy plans to partner with the tribe to help steward the land, restore its fish and wildlife, and provide free recreational opportunities to the public. The group currently operates more than 20 other nature preserves on the West Coast.

    The 14,100-acre property includes a main home, guesthouse, conference center, private lake, riding arena, two barns and a 2,900-foot airstrip.

    Hall and Hall

    The Markkulas purchased the original 9,000-acre ranch back in early 1982 for just over $8 million, and subsequently tacked on numerous adjoining properties to expand the acreage. Nestled between the Salinas Valley and Santa Lucia Range, the working cattle ranch/owner’s retreat is showcased by a 5,413-square-foot, one-bedroom main house with a Western-themed bar and swimming pool, plus an attached two-bedroom guest wing accessible via a covered walkway.

    Additional buildings include a separate two-bedroom guesthouse with its own four-car garage, multiple offices and staff quarters, and a two-story conference center. There’s also a private lake, riding arena, two barns, a 2,900-foot airstrip and helipad.

    In the late 1970s, after retiring from Intel, Markkula gave then-unknown computer programmers Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak $250,000 to help form Apple. He became the third employee, served as chairman and CEO, and at one time owned 26 percent of the company. Markkula, who has an estimated net worth of around $1.2 billion, also owns homes in Woodside, Calif., and Hawaii.

    Bill McDavid of Hall and Hall repped both sides of the deal.

    Click here for more photos of Rana Creek Ranch.

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    RZA Pays $10 Million for Lavish Hilltop Estate in Malibu

    RZA’s career has spanned well over 30 years. Over that time, the legendary hip-hop music producer has tried his hand at everything from film scoring (most notably with the “Kill Bill” franchise), acting (“American Gangster,” “Californication”) and directing (“The Man With the Iron Fists”). 

    Now the Wu-Tang Clan mastermind and namesake of Rihanna’s son has decided his next adventure is becoming a real estate mogul. Property records show the 54-year-old Brooklyn native has paid $9.8 million for a sprawling Malibu estate, adding to a portfolio that includes his longtime New Jersey home and a more recently acquired spread in Bell Canyon, a guard-gated neighborhood in the northwestern outskirts of Los Angeles.

    Built in 2001 by Houston property developer Vincent Kickerillo, the property last sold in 2019 for $7.8 million to a non-famous buyer who gave the nearly 11,000-square-foot mansion a contemporary remodel. Set behind gates and a spectacularly long driveway on more than 5 acres of hillside land, the notably grand residence includes soaring ceilings, travertine floors, walls of glass and a newly open-concept floorplan.

    Other highlights are not limited to an elevator, a surround-sound system, a chef’s kitchen with granite countertops and premium appliances, a butler’s pantry and multiple sets of French doors spilling out to the grounds. Upstairs are dual master retreats, two of the home’s seven bedrooms, and each include walnut floors, a fireplace, bespoke closets, spa-style bathrooms and private balconies.

    But the outdoors is where this landlocked estate truly shines brightest; the manicured grounds include verdant fruit orchards and mature specimen trees, plus a full outdoor kitchen, ample patio space, parking for north of a dozen cars and a petite guesthouse. Best of all, an infinity-edge swimming pool boasts unobstructed panoramic views of the Malibu coastline, directly overlooking both the Encinal bluffs and El Matador State beach. More

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    The Weeknd’s Los Angeles Penthouse Sells at a $3 Million Loss

    After nearly two years on the market, The Weeknd has finally managed to unload his little-used penthouse in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Occupying the entire 18th floor of the prestigious Beverly West building, the mansion-sized condo sold to married Drs. David and Andrea Feinberg, the former president and CEO of the UCLA Health System and current chairman of Oracle Health.

    Property records reveal the Feinbergs forked over $18 million, among the highest condo prices ever paid in Los Angeles but well under the unit’s original $22.5 million ask. That discounted sales price is also exactly $3 million less than what The Weeknd paid for the place four years ago. Still, it is unlikely he’ll suffer because of the big loss —- the 33-year-old Canadian entertainer, born Abel Tesfaye, long ago upgraded to a $69 million estate in prime Bel Air.

    The star of this real estate show are undoubtedly the condo’s 360-degree views, which include panoramic vistas of Downtown Los Angeles, the Pacific Ocean and Santa Monica Mountains. Floor-to-ceiling walls of glass also drink in the Los Angeles Country Club and its lush golf greens, which adjoin the Beverly West building.

    There are four bedrooms and eight bathrooms in nearly 8,000 square feet of contemporary living space, all of it flaunting tall ceilings, designer lighting fixtures and walnut paneling throughout. The master retreat is stunningly lavish — it features a boutique showroom-style closet, an apartment-sized bathroom with a steam shower and soaking tub, and a private balcony.

    The great room offers panoramic views and space for grand-scale entertaining.

    Carston Schertzer for The Luxury Level

    Other highlights are not limited to a backlit and temperature-controlled “wine vault,” a mirror-walled gym, a great room that includes a living room and a wet bar with a TV wall, wide-plank white oak floors and a bespoke kitchen designed in Italy that is outfitted with top-of-the-line Miele appliances.

    Completed in the 2010s, the Beverly West building includes just 35 luxury condos, all of which offer numerous communal amenities that include valet parking, 24/7 concierge, security guards, a sparkling pool, and a rooftop helipad. None of that comes cheap, however — monthly HOA dues for this particular penthouse top $8,000.

    Click here for more photos of The Weeknd’s just-sold penthouse. More

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    Stunning AI Designed Home In Lake Como, Italy (PHOTOS)

    This stunning AI-designed lakefront home, set in Lake Como, Italy, was designed by Instagram account @aiforarchitects. /* custom css */ .tdi_8.td-a-rec{ text-align: center; }.tdi_8 .td-element-style{ z-index: -1; }.tdi_8.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_8.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; }@media (max-width: 767px) { .tdi_8.td-a-rec-img { text-align: center; } } More

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    Diane Sawyer Is Asking $24 Million for Her Coastal New England Oasis

    A sprawling seaside compound owned by veteran news anchor Diane Sawyer has popped up for sale in the coastal Massachusetts enclave of Martha’s Vineyard.

    Nestled amid windswept dunes directly overlooking water views from every vantage point, on two separate parcels of land tucked between Vineyard Sound and Lake Tashmoo, the estate known as “Chip Chop” just hit the market for $24 million, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

    Records show the TV broadcast journalist and her late film director husband Mike Nichols paid $5.3 million back in 1995 for the property, and subsequently embarked on an extensive restoration in collaboration with Tate Builders. Spanning 20 acres, the seaside spread is showcased by a nearly 5,000-square-foot main house boasting three bedrooms and numerous other structures, all with access to a combined mile of private shoreline.

    Originally designed in the late 1930s for noted stage actress Katharine Cornell by Neoclassical architect Eric Gugler—most known for his remodeling work on the West Wing of the White House during President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration—the wood-shingled, New England-style main house was ultimately completed in the mid-1940s.

    Other buildings include a two-bedroom caretaker’s cottage and two modern beach cottages affectionately referred to as “The Shacks” because of the fishing shacks they replaced, plus two more detached guest bedroom suites known as the Pond and Ocean pavilions. There’s also a swimming pool and Har-Tru tennis court on the premises.

    According to WSJ, the 77-year-old anchor known for programs such as ABC World News Tonight, Good Morning America and 20/20, is selling because the rhythms of summer have changed” as her family has grown, and “there is less free time for long visits to the island.”

    “Five grandchildren have run through the halls, learned to swim in the warm waters, gathered moss in the forest,” she said. “At Thanksgiving, both enormous fireplaces in the great room give off warmth and golden light. We have always felt so lucky to be together in this magic place.”

    The listing is held by Mark Jenkins of Wallace and Co. Sotheby’s International Realty.

    Click here for more photos of Diane Sawyer’s house. More

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    The Tom’s of Maine Founders Are Selling Their Longtime New England Estate

    Back in the early 1980s, Tom and Kate Chappell acquired a historic estate in the heart of Kennebunk, a charming coastal city in the southern reaches of Maine. There, in what is often referred to as a “true piece of Kennebunk Maine’s history,” the founders of Tom’s of Maine raised five children who are now grown and married, and they became widely known as artists, authors and philanthropists.

    The couple also sold a majority stake of the successful natural oral and personal care product company that they launched together in 1970 to Colgate-Palmolive in 2006 for a whopping $100 million. Now, 40 years later, the Chappells are finally ready to part with their longtime home, putting the 20-room structure up for sale at just over $2 million.

    Originally built for merchant Nathaniel Frost in 1799, and meticulously restored and upgraded during the Chappell’s tenure, the Federal-style premises were also occupied at one time by New Hampshire Sen. Charles Cutts, who was elected as the U.S. Secretary of State in 1814.

    Built in the late 1700s, the Chappell’s Federal-style house is often referred to as a “true piece of Kennebunk Maine’s history.”

    Photography by Peter G. Morneau

    Sited on almost an acre of land dotted with organic gardens bearing apple trees, herbs and vegetables, the property includes a main house and guest quarters—for a total of six bedrooms and a matching number of baths in nearly 7,500 square feet of living space boasting no less than eight wood-burning fireplaces throughout. There’s also an attached three-car garage that resembles a big red barn.

    Especially standing out on the main level is a double-height entry foyer displaying a curving traditional staircase, which flows to a living room on one side and formal dining room on the other. A traditional arched door off the foyer leads to the rear of the home, which holds a classic kitchen outfitted with leathered granite countertops, a French Lacanche range, slate farmhouse sink and walk-in pantry.

    In the formal dining room, homeowner and artist Kate Chappell has painstakingly matched the original stenciling done by Moses Eaton.

    Photography by Peter G. Morneau

    An adjacent octagonal-shaped sunroom is currently being used as a casual dining area, and sports a vaulted wood ceiling, freestanding gas stove, and sliding glass doors spilling out to a wood deck and grassy courtyard; and elsewhere are an office, a family room and study, plus a trio of upstairs en-suite bedrooms that each have a fireplace.

    As for the guest quarters, two separate apartments come complete with a total of three bedrooms, as well as their own living room and kitchen. The property also is powered with solar panels, and warmed by a geothermal heat system and energy-efficient heat pumps; and per the listing held by Andi Robinson and Elaine Prendergast of Sotheby’s International Realty, the Chappell family likes to say, “The home is all natural.”

    Click here for more photos of 99 Main Street. More

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    Grace Kelly Vacationed at This Historic French Riviera Villa. Now It Can Be Yours.

    Always wanted to live like royalty? Now’s your chance, because the picturesque villa where the late Princess Grace of Monaco loved to blissfully while away her days has just popped up for sale.

    Known as “Les Moulins du Villars,” and nestled on a 5-acre parcel in the village of Gilette on the French Riviera, between Nice and Monaco, this stunning estate is now on the market for $12.5 million (€11.5 million) with Peter Illovsky of Côte d’Azur Sotheby’s International Realty.

    Especially charmed by a presentation of locally made cheeses and olive oil on one of her first trips to the historic villa with her daughter Princess Caroline in 1980, the Oscar-winning actress befriended the owners and returned alone several times before her September 1982 death in a car accident at age 52. She even donated two statues that are still on display today.

    This antique water mill wheel stationed in a living room is powered by one of the property’s streams.

    Côte d’Azur Sotheby’s International Realty

    Originally built in the 14th century as an olive oil and flour mill, and resting amid a nature reserve aside the shores of the Latti River, the property was transformed into a luxe retreat by Count Jean Fernand Joseph Gouin de Roumilly in the late 1970s. The deed has changed hands in the years since, with the most recent owners acquiring the place in 2006 and subsequently giving the main villa an extensive renovation.

    Spanning four stories and around 6,000 square feet of living space, the seven-bedroom main house is highlighted by an elevator to all levels, plus living and dining areas linked by a vintage working water mill wheel encased in glass, two kitchens, an office, a media room, wine cellar and laundry room.

    A heated infinity pool rests beside an open-air cabana outfitted with an inviting living room.

    Côte d’Azur Sotheby’s International Realty

    Outdoors, the grounds are laced with olive, fruit and cypress trees, and host a heated infinity pool flanked by an open-air cabana, as well as two vegetable gardens, a greenhouse, gym and tennis court that doubles as a helipad. There’s also a two-room guesthouse, four-car garage and partially restored ruin dating from Roman times that serves as an event space.

    Click here for more photos of Les Moulins du Villars. More

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    Bobby Flay’s Vacation Home in Upstate New York Just Hit the Market for $3.3 Million

     Bobby Flay is a fierce competitor in the kitchen, and as far as his home in Saratoga Springs goes, that’s just as tough to beat.

    The Tudor-style residence, located just outside the Oklahoma Training Track at the Saratoga Race Course, is being dished out for $3.3 million, The Times Union reported on Monday. Back in 2021, the Food Network alum bought the property for $1.7 million, which is about half the asking price if your math skills aren’t up to par. At the time, Flay tapped New York City’s Olivia Capuano, founder of Olivia Jane Design, to totally and quickly revamp the place, a huge project that she managed to complete in less than six months.

    “The design was aimed at bringing the vibrancy and energy of the track indoors while creating an inviting and comfortable space for hosting guests,” Capuano told House Beautiful earlier this year.

    Bobby Flay’s Saratoga Springs getaway comes with a custom bourbon lounge

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    Her biggest task in renovating the 3,087-square-foot, four-bedroom abode was converting an office into a swanky bourbon lounge for the celeb chef, who’s a well-known whiskey drinker and racehorse enthusiast. She also transformed an existing backyard fire pit into an outdoor kitchen. 

    “A large chunk of the budget was spent on updating the back patio,” Capuano told the magazine. “As track season coincides with the most lovely weather for upstate New York, we knew that it was an incredibly valuable entertaining space.” In addition to expanding its overall square footage, she installed a custom concrete grill counter and an outdoor television.  

    The residence was recently remodeled and includes a large outdoor patio with a kitchen

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    Inside, the sunken living room feels super cozy and offers up views of the track, while the kitchen is bright and spacious, equipped with vaulted ceilings and an exposed brick fireplace. (Yes, it’s as impressive as you’d expect for an Iron Chef.) Elsewhere, you’ll find a primary suite on each level so there’s no need for a tension-filled throwdown for who gets the best bedroom.

    “I asked Olivia to create a warm home with the Deco era in mind, as the house was originally built in 1939. I think she did an amazing job,” Flay added.  

    JoAnn Potrzuski Cassidy with Julie & Co. Realty has the listing.  

    Click here to see all the photos of Bobby Flay’s Saratoga Springs house.  

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