Penthouses.com: The Weblog

If you are tired of living in your present home then how about labeling a unique estate to your name? Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to be precise! Featured to the right is the tallest penthouse of the city. Offering a magnificent view of the city’s Twin Towers and city skyline, this penthouse is a worthy asset. News is few steps away, the four seasons development is about to start. This breathtaking estate provides a revolutionary lifestyle. Generous in architect and interiors, this splendid penthouse is expected to be furnished at the owners demand and choice of belongings’. The renowned designers engaged in the interior designing of the building are as Christian Liaigre, Ann Likoh and Yasumichi Morita. They say even a floor can be tailored to fit the concerned needs and desires.

Erected at a 12,330 square feet of well-designed living space, the starting price of this penthouse is $18,600,000.

Read more form LuxuryRealEstate.com

More than one million homes are for sale in England and Wales for the first time since records began, research claims today.

The landmark is a sign of the panic among homeowners desperate to sell their properties before prices fall even further.

Others are selling in order to grab a bargain by getting a newly-built home for a massive discount. The report, from the property website Rightmove, says the average asking price slumped by £3,000 - or 1.2% - between May 11 and June 14.

The price slump is even more dramatic in some parts of the country, with prices in the West London borough of Hounslow falling by nearly £20,000.

Click here to read the full article.

Canada is an evergreen and popular nation with international investors and it is becoming an increasingly popular choice with those in search if the ultimate lifestyle property . It is said that investors looking for the ideal place to buy should consider Quebec.

Quebec is described as a “four season outdoor playground” because of its mountains and lakes, its ski runs and protected wilderness areas, and as a result it is already hugely popular with North American visitors who love the great outdoors and who embrace the unique cultural fabulous province.

Many of those who have visited this province have also realised that it is one of the most affordable in Canada for real estate, and this has led to Quebec becoming home to a certain number of high end, exclusive communities where real estate is prized.

It is these communities where there has been an intensification of the internation property interest as well; locations such a Mont Tremblant- North America’s number one ski resort- have become particularly desirable as they offer the ultimate blend of high-end real estate with luxury lifestyle.

Because of the vast size of the nation, Canada generally offers a buyer far more real estate for their property pounf or dollar, and because the country is a first world leading tourism center offering world-class amenities and facilities aswell as being home to some of the worlds most striking natural scenery. Canada really can be said to have it all.

Ever wanted to swap your home just for a short time? Now you can with HomeLink, the world largest home exchange organisation. HomeLink International was established in 1953 and continues to lead the way in home exchange holidays. Here you can pick your desired destination and then fill in your search criteria, from a non smoking home, to somewhere that pets are allowed. You can then browse the homes up for exchange with their desired destination.

The idea is that you swap your home with another HomeLink member for the duration of your holiday. You stay in their home while they stay in yours. You don’t pay rent and neither does the other person. It’s a free exchange, and they call it a HomeLink holiday.

Take a few days in Amsterdam, two weeks in California or a tour of Australia. Exchangers are most interested in the location. As one journal said about exchanging cottages and mansions, “size doesn’t matter, so long as the place is right”.

Anual membership for HomeLink is from £115 depending on how many pictures you have and how detailed you advert is.

Now thats what I call a cheap holiday! Click here to go to their website

If the banking crisis is threatening the size of City bonuses and property prices, then the news has not yet reached some in Canary Wharf.

The owner of a pair of penthouse apartments at Berkeley Tower, the tallest building in Canary Riverside, has put them on the market with a record asking price of £18.7 million. That’s £14million more than he paid for them three years ago

The total size of the properties are twice the size of the average three-bedroom semi, at more than 6,000 square feet.  This means the cost is more than £2,700 per square foot, more than double the previous Canary Wharf record of £1,216 per square foot.

It is estimated that about 88,000 homes are valued at over £1 million in England and Wales, up from just 30,000 homes five years ago, according to figures by Halifax

When it comes to sales above the £1 million mark, the SW7 postcode has been in second place for years but this year it was matched by W8. The SW1X postcode, which includes Knightsbridge, remains in fifth place, behind NW3 (Hampstead). This may change when flats at One Hyde Park come on to the market with asking prices of at least £20 million each.

However, estate agents today warned that turmoil in the financial markets could see central London homes fall in value for the first time in more than five years. Property agency Savills says houses and flats in the £1 million to £3 million bracket will be stagnant at best for the rest of the year and could fall by up to five per cent.

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Italian architect David Fisher is building his first skyscraper, the Dynamic Tower, and it happens to be one of the most ambitious construction plans since the Pyramid of Khufu. Every floor of the 80-story self-powered building rotates according to voice command, and nearly the entire structure of the $700 million building is pre-fabbed.

The Dynamic Tower offers infinite design possibilities, as each floor rotates independently to create a building that constantly changes shape, resulting in a unique and ever evolving architectural structure.

The Tower is environmentally friendly and the first building designed to be self-powered, with the ability to generate its own electricity, as well as for other nearby buildings, it achieves this feat with wind turbines fitted between each rotating floor, An 80-story building will have up to 79 wind turbines, making it a true green power plant,’ Dr. Fisher stated.

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Records are set to break in Dubai after bids are received for two exclusive penthouses in the new Trump hotel on Palm Jumeirah.
Sales of the residences begin this week. Pre-sales of some properties have sold for $3,000 per square foot, with the average price per square foot selling for $2,450.

The 62-story tower made of stainless steel and glass, will be the tallest structure on Palm Jumeirah and is expected to be completed in summer 2011. The property will be comprised of two freestanding towers that straddle the center line of Palm Jumeirah, making it the gateway to the heart of the development.

Two expansive penthouses designed by Kelly Hoppen will sit atop both towers. But all the Tower’s 399 freehold residences will have the designer touches: Norman Foster bathtubs, Boffi kitchens and Gaggenau appliances. Furthermore, a “Soundcreation” package will be available with each residential purchase. This system provides owners with complete home automation, an awe-inspiring home cinema, multi-room audio, and spectacular custom lighting.  All residences will have access to the Beach Club which features multiple sports, leisure and entertainment facilities.

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That luxury penthouse in downtown San Jose may not be out of reach after all. In fact, you might be able to get one for just $150.

Developer Barry Swenson is raffling off one of his eight penthouses that sit atop the brand new City Heights condominium high-rise on Julian Street.

The lucky winner would have a choice of taking the penthouse or $1 million in cash.

The beneficiary of the proceeds will be InnVision, a San Jose-based nonprofit charity that provides emergency housing and services to the homeless.

The raffled penthouse is valued at $1.2 million (take a look at the slide show and video clip for a tour.) InnVision hopes to sell 18,000 tickets at $150 each with a goal of raising $1 million to support the organization’s services.

Aside from the grand prize there are a number of smaller prizes, including cash prizes ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 and a Hawaiian vacation. An early bird drawing is scheduled for June 28 at City Heights. The final drawing for the penthouse will be held on Oct. 3 at InnVision’s gala banquet at the Santa Clara Marriott.

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A stunning selection of two bedroom apartments and penthouses designed by Charles Church sits in its new development, Alwoodley Gates in Alwoodley - a prestigious suburb of Leeds. Blending excellence and exclusivity the two elegant apartment blocks Balmoral House and Sandringham House each have ten luxury two bedroom apartments and penthouses spread over three storeys.

The development provides residents with private parking within the electronically gated and secure environment which consists of ample lawned areas and feature flower beds. Ground floor apartments have direct access to the gardens via French doors to the living room and most first floor apartments have private balconies and an option of an en-suite to the master bedroom.

Properties in Balmoral House are priced from only £249,995 to £358,995 and in Sandringham House from only £309,995 to £339,995.

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Once it was a city penthouse, with a villa somewhere hot and a chalet somewhere cold. The Mercedes 4×4 was for the school run, while the £200,000 convertible was for weekends with friends in the country. A cook and two nannies took care of the children, leaving plenty of time for lunches with ladies for her and the best wine and cigars for him. Ah, the sweet smell of excess.

But - whisper it as softly as the purr of the limousine waiting at the end of the gravel drive - times are changing. The world’s super-rich are having a tough time. Plunging stock markets, the impact of 11 September and accounting scandals, and now fear of war and a prolonged recession have left the world’s millionaires watching their fortunes shrink. Down to their last few hundred thousands, the richest people on the planet are being forced to do the unthinkable - tighten their belts.

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