Mega-Mansions to start selling again? Most expensive properties in the U.S

Following Donald Trump’s sale of his luxury Palm beach mansion as the most expensive knock-down in the history of knock-downs, I wonder if this bears good tidings for the other mega-priced mansions currently still on sale in the U.S?

Despite a price drop of $25million, the sale price was still a substantial one for a piece of luxury real estate in Florida, and there are several other mansions still available in this price range.

Top of the price list is still the Hearst Mansion

Once owned by William Randolf Hearst, the Jacobean Manor house on 40 acres in San Simeon, California, this property is available for $165 million. I don’t think this one bears knocking down though.

The Hearst Mansion was originally constructed on a 40,000 acre ranch that William Randolph Hearst’s father, George Hearst, purchased in 1865. Hearst jnr grew to love this site during many childhood family camping trips. He inherited the ranch, which had grown to 250,000 acres from his mother, Phoebe Apperson Hearst, upon her death in 1919. He began building that year and continued through to 1947, when he stopped living at the estate due to ill health. San Francisco architect Julia Morgan designed most of the buildings. Hearst was never 100% satisfied and would tear down structures and rebuild them at a whim, so the estate was never completed in his lifetime. Containing 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 19 sitting rooms, 127 acres of gardens, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, a movie theater, an airfield, and the world’s largest private zoo. Zebras and other exotic animals still roam the grounds. Morgan, an accomplished civil engineer, devised a gravity-based water delivery system from a nearby mountain. One highlight of the estate is the Neptune Pool, which features an expansive vista of the mountains, ocean and the main house.

Photo Credit - Jim Epler

A little further down the price scale, the Portabello estate, a 30,000 square feet property in Corona Del Mar still begs to be knocked down and turned into something a little more attractive. Even with 8 bedrooms and an “interesting,” design, the proximity of a busy road and public beach make this one unlikely to reach it’s current $75 million price tag. The real estate agents have also gone to the touble of creating a website entireley devoted to the Portabello estate. And the luxury brokers, have even made a special aerial shot of the property with a big red arrow pointing out the “interesting,” design - just in case you failed to see it. Although, if that is the case, I doubt you will be able to appreciate the view

Jumping back up the price scale again is the Tranquility mansion, Lake Tahoe.

Situated on the tax-free side of the lake, “Tranquility,” sits on 210 acres of prime real estate. The main house covers more than 20,000 square feet and is built in the California-Faux-Northern-European-mansion style. 9 bedrooms, 14 full bathrooms and a 3,000+ bottle wine cellar with a bronze carved door that was previously owned by none other than William Randolph Hearst. Small world. Currently owned by Joel Horowitz, co-founder of Tommy Hilfiger we will see if Mr. Trump’s sales success will be followed by any of these in the near future.

With or without the 20% discount? Comments welcome.