The 19-bedroom villa is the latest big-ticket deal amid the city’s luxury real estate boom
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In the latest example of Dubai’s thriving luxury real estate market, a 19-bedroom megamansion in the city’s prestigious gated golf community of Emirates Hills has sold for US$40.2 million.
The villa, which sits on the largest lot in the posh enclave, changed hands last week, and the sale was handled by Leigh Borg and Timothy Ogunniyi of Dubai Sotheby’s International Realty.
“To own the largest land plot in Emirates Hills along with one of the biggest homes in the community makes this property stand out,” Ogunniyi said. “To find a property that gives you 80,000 square feet of land and 55,700 square feet of living space is rare in Dubai.”
Other large plots in the community are “not quite as massive,” he added. It’s “very seldom these plots come into the market in Emirates Hills. No doubt, this presented a great appeal to the buyer and an opportunity to capitalise on its value.”
The home has a classic feel, with an exterior that “combines timeless architectural elements with the use of natural materials, all of which are reflected in the roof shape, window style and classic columns,” Ogunniyi said.
It also has far-reaching views of the Dubai skyline and the surrounding golf course.
“With the market in Dubai appreciating, it is fair to say that this was a very good deal to come by, both for buyer and seller,” Ogunniyi said, without disclosing the identities of the parties. The seller had owned the villa for the past 15 years and lived in the property when in town, he added. Mansion Global couldn’t identify either party.
Dubai’s luxury home market has been on a tear, complete with sky-high prices that grew 17.4% last year , and record-breaking transactions.
“This year, we have witnessed a significant evolution in the luxury real estate landscape, characterised by the introduction of new iconic developments and a sustained influx of wealthy investors, many of whom boast billionaire status,” said George Azar, CEO and chairman of Dubai Sotheby’s International Realty.
“While there exists a substantial demand for super prime homes, it’s crucial to note that the market currently lacks a sufficient number of uber-luxury projects and finishes that resonate with the discerning tastes of global billionaires,” he added. That gap “underscores the resilience and strength of this segment within our market.”
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The imposing stone structures, with towers, turrets and a hot tub room, lord over the landscape near the mountain resort town of Sandpoint.
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Idaho is not a place that’s often associated with Medieval castles, but a pair have just hit the market for $6.25 million.
The imposing stone structures have towers, turrets, ramparts, arrow-slit windows and even a drawbridge, and might just be the most authentic-looking castles this side of the Atlantic.
“Who expects to see a castle like this in Idaho?” said listing agent Brenda Burk of Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty, who brought the property to the market last week. They are, she said, “extremely unusual.”
Schweitzer Castle and Château de Melusine, as they’re known, stand within Schweitzer Mountain Resort in the Selkirk Mountains and overlook the nearby mountain resort town of Sandpoint. They take in panoramic views of Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho’s largest lake.
The pair of ski-in/ski-out homes each have three bedrooms, two bathrooms and three stories, Burk explained. They are “so authentic,” she said. “Every single stone was handlaid.”
Schweitzer Castle, she said, wasn’t built for “functionality,” but has been modernized and adapted and now has everything a 21st-century residence requires, along with a dungeon, which for some buyers may also be a requisite.
The chateau, meanwhile, has a hot tub room with mountain views, as well as a garage.
The property is being sold furnished, and will come complete with the hand-carved statues, armor, mounted swords, stained-glass windows and a host of antiques dating to the 15th and 16th centuries.
The owner, an antique collector who couldn’t be reached for comment, “is always looking for that hidden jewel and he found that here,” Burk said.
The next custodian is likely to stem from a varied pool of buyers, Burk said, that would include “the trophy-home buyer, someone who can say ‘I own a castle.’”
The property could also appeal to someone looking for a vacation home, or a multi-generational estate, and beyond that “there’s the dreamers,” she said. “We definitely try to market to people who like Medieval history or maybe do Renaissance fairs.”
The seller “really wants it to go to someone with the same passion.”
