Gargantumansion Shakeup! Florida Reclaims Most Expensive Home Title; L.A. Palace Gives Up to ... Grow Potatoes
In the battle of America’s palaces, Le Palais Royal in Florida has reclaimed the crown: Having just raised its price by $20 million, it’s now the nation’s most expensive home at $159 million.
Turns out the price increase wasn’t necessary, though: The previous titleholder, Il Palazzo di Amore in Beverly Hills, California, has thrown in the towel. It was listed last year at $195 million, displacing the then-$139 million Palais Royal at the top of the market. As recently as two months ago, billionaire Palazzo owner Jeff Greene declared himself a “very motivated” seller, knocking $46 million off the price tag – which still left it the nation’s priciest mansion, at $149 million.
But now Greene has withdrawn his love palace from the market and has decided to turn some of it into … an organic farm.
“We’re going to grow tomatoes, potatoes, onions, corn,” the real estate magnate tells CNBC’s Robert Frank. “We’re going to talk to a local farmer who is going to take the product and sell in a local market. And, of course, we’ll eat the organic foods.”
He says he might still consider enticing offers, and he’s willing to rent it out, too. Someone paid $450,000 to stay there in August, CNBC says.
And that leaves Le Palais Royal, a 60,500-square-foot gargantumansion in Hillsboro Beach, Florida, as the most expensive official listing in the United States:
Le Palais Royal. (All images and video courtesy of ONE Sotheby’s International Realty)
You know, it’s just hardly worth selling a gargantumansion these days unless it’s the most expensive gargantumansion in the country, are we right?
Photos of the just-completed main house are new. Models not included with the estate.
But the Palais didn’t add $20 million to its price tag for bragging rights alone. It has also added two guest houses and 1.5 acres, for what is now a 4.4-acre lot with 465 feet of beachfront on Millionaire’s Mile.
When the property listed last year, the main mansion was still under construction, so only renderings were available. Now there are photos of the mansion, complete with beautiful people engaged in fabulous activities so you can imagine your own life as king or queen of Le Palais Royal:
Waiting for packages from Tiffany to arrive, perhaps?
Sky-high shoes not included, either. Wait. Now that we think of it: They’re probably negotiable.
Sadly, exercising is one chore that can’t be hired out.
Fore!
Come hither.
No, seriously: Come hither.
Applying lip gloss.
Pleased with lip gloss application.
Mulling a bath. Decisions, decisions.
A breath of fresh Florida air.
“Can you believe we used to stand in line for a movie?”
Meanwhile, Phase 2 has begun: an underground entertainment complex with an ice skating rink, go-kart track, nightclub and bowling alley. (Having just a bowling alley is so déclassé.)
Rendering of the underground entertainment complex. Clockwise from left: the go-kart track, the bowling alley, the ice rink and the nightclub.
Ice rink, with bowling at left.
Bowling, with ice rink at right. We hope the cold doesn’t throw off your game!
Bowling lounge.
Disco. Can’t you almost feel the beat?
The estate is expected to be finished in about two years. But since this is the most expensive listing on the market, for now, we’ll run down some of the features.
A Living Color aquarium filled with 1,300 gallons of water:
22-karat gold leaf on the entrance gate, front door, staircase and kitchen cabinets (more than $3 million worth all told):
Eleven bedrooms and 17 bathrooms, including a “presidential” master suite – the distinction necessitated by the fact that there are three other master bedroom suites:
An IMAX theater that seats 18 people:
Six water features, including a 24-foot fountain:
(Rendering.)
(Rendering.)
Almost 500 feet of private dock, which is, conveniently, enough for a 200-foot mega-yacht, according to the listing agent:
(Rendering.)
Get it now and enjoy saying you own the most expensive home in the country for a hot minute, until something even more financially ludicrous comes along.
Something like, say, Nile Niami’s 100,000-square-foot gargantumansion, a spec home under construction in the Los Angeles area that’s expected to hit the market next year at half a billion dollars.
See even more images of Le Palais Royal below.
More gargantumansions on Yahoo Real Estate:
• ‘Very Motivated’ Billionaire Knocks $46M Off Palazzo di Amore, Now Asks $149M (24 photos)
• The Wild World of L.A.’s Nine-Figure Gargantumansions (1 video, 24 images)
• Secrets of a Five-Stories-Underground, $53M Mansion (30 photos)
• 50 Cent’s Gargantumansion Is Now Less Than Half-Price (29 photos)
(Rendering.)
(Rendering.)
(Rendering.)
Front doors from outside.
Front doors from inside.
Looking toward the entry hall.
More gargantumansions on Yahoo Real Estate:
• 'Very Motivated’ Billionaire Knocks $46M Off Palazzo di Amore, Now Asks $149M (24 photos)
• The Wild World of L.A.’s Nine-Figure Gargantumansions (1 video, 24 images)
• Secrets of a Five-Stories-Underground, $53M Mansion (30 photos)
• 50 Cent’s Gargantumansion Is Now Less Than Half-Price (29 photos)
