Chateau Miraval is becoming the most famous piece of luxury property on the Cote D’Azur thanks to it’s current tenants, but It would appear that being able to afford a hideaway in France away from prying eyes is a double edged sword.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, currently living in Chateau Miraval in Provence, France following the birth of their twins, Knox Leon and Vivienne Marchaline have discovered the downside. Boar hunting.

At least, that is what the tabloid newspapers would have you believe. As far as I have been able to ascertain, the couple have not mentioned this as being an issue and despite the estate being surrounded by a bevy of journalists after they moved in – not a word has been said.

Boar hunting is a traditional part of life in Provence and an integral part of protecting the grapes on the winery, and both the owner of the Chateau Miraval, Tom Bove, and the President of the Boar Hunt agree that the long-standing agreement with local hunters will not be changed to suit the current inhabitants.

Locals are apparently charging foreign journalists anything up to €500 for an “exclusive” story on the matter. Just a few months ago, you could have bought the life story of just about any of the local “pilliers du bar” for a couple of glasses of Pastis.

The story has spread far and wide, and even The Hog Blog picked up on the story that the couple were involved in a dispute of some kind. Although, if you stop by, they won’t be in - he’s out hunting.

Much ado about nothing comes to mind. I would think with the recent births they have more on their minds than a few French hunters taking the boar population down a little. Hand made boar sausage is one of the best delicacies in Provence anyway.

Jolie was quoted as saying that she wished for her children to learn French during their planned three-year stay, although I would imagine that would be difficult locked away from the world, and the only signs of life are the occasional coming and going of a private helicopter and 2 gendarmes stationed at the gates.

If money is no object, a private island has to be the ultimate in luxury real estate. A recent Coldwell Banker International Luxury Survey (2008) stated that the most-desirable property for wealthy respondents was a private island. There are only so many of these, and a major industry has sprung up around the sale and management of private islands. The pleasure of being the only person on an island and knowing you own it is something many can only dream about.

There are islands available for private purchase all over the world, although some are in potentially hazardous positions; either politically or environmentally, and the most expensive ones tend to be situated in stable regions where the weather is good. Unless you just wish to avoid attention, no one in their right mind would consider a private island in the Antarctic to be luxurious.

Prices of islands depend largely on accessibility, infrastructure in place and the political stability of the sovereign nation. Most islands on the planet have already been claimed by one government or another, and it is important to check local regulations when buying an island. Many a buyer has purchased only to discover that the seller was not entitled to sell. Caveat emptor.

Forbes ran a piece back in 2007 detailing the most expensive private islands, and top of the list was Ronde Island, Grenada at $100 million. This one is still for sale a year later, so the price may be negotiable now?

Caye Chapel resort in Belize came in second at $65 million. According to their brochure:

Welcome to a Caribbean destination unlike any other. Ten miles from the coast of Belize and nowhere close to ordinary rests a private island boasting championship golf, unparallel privacy, luxury beachfront Villa accommodations, and exemplary service. Set on 250 acres of lush grounds & pristine beaches Caye Chapel Island has been developed for those seeking an exclusive vacation experience offering privacy & seclusion. Absent are crowds of guests found at many Caribbean resorts. In its place is a feeling that you have found your own “private island” paradise created solely for your enjoyment.

This one certainly gets my vote as being one of the most desirable pieces of luxury real estate on the planet.

It is hard to think of any better way of avoiding the unwanted attention that comes with being a rich and famous celebrity than buying a private island, and many celebrities have chosen to do so - Marlon Brando, David Copperfield, Gene Hackman, Richard Branson to name a few. These are the more spectacular Islands owned by celebrities:

Hollywood actor Mel Gibson purchased Mago Island in Fiji in 2005, amidst protests from descendants of the natives who were displaced back in the 1800s. Mr Gibson values his privacy at $15 million, which is what he paid for the island. The Colliers listing stated:

Mago (pronounced Mungo) Island is one of the largest freehold islands in the southwest Pacific consisting of over 5400 acres (8 square miles) of pristine ecology and varied terrain. Located in the northwest sector of the Northern Lau Group of islands in Fiji, Mago rises majestically to 670 feet on its eastern cliffs and is fringed entirely by protective reefs, powder white beaches and turquoise lagoons. The rich volcanic soil is evident in the lush, expansive interior plain and is considered by locals to be among the most fertile land in the region. A wide variety of tropical fruits, vegetables and other flora flourish profusely. Mango, coconut, grapefruit, mandarin, guava and papaya to name just a few proliferate in natural abundance.

Another famous island is Musha Cay, the world’s most expensive Private Island resort, and available for between $25,000 - $45,000 a night. Owned by the illusionist David Copperfield, who claims to have discovered the fountain of youth on the Island. Mr. Copperfield is also famous for not being able to make himself disappear when a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her on the island and the FBI raided a warehouse belonging to him. The investigation is ongoing, but the island is still available.

it would seem that owning a private island goes hand in hand with a few scandals and Mr. Copperfield is not the only wealthy island owner to have fallen foul of a few laws. The Bacardi family, who own an island in Grenada has run into issues with the office of fair trading in the UK; Richard Branson, who owns several islands in the Caribbean, hits the headlines pretty often, not all of it positive; and we all know about Mel Gibson’s drink driving habits.

This next one is probably my favorite island though. We usually think of islands as being in the sea, but this one, Isola Bella (beautiful island) is on Lake Maggiore, northern Italy.

If I had unlimited funds and could make them an offer they couldn’t refuse, this would be my choice. The island has belonged to the Borromei family for generations, and is a popular tourist destination today with beautifully-kept Italianate gardens.

Credit for last image in series

Not all private Islands are in remote tropical locations, and there are some unusual ego-trips attached to some of them. This one, for instance, Sanda Island in Scotland:

According to the agents, Vladi Private Islands,

The owner is entitled to use the title “Laird of Sanda” and has the right to issue own postage stamps and to mint their own gold coins. Ownership of Sanda Island includes the neighboring Sheep Island and Glunimore Island.

Who wouldn’t want to be called “Laird”? Not only that, but I look great in a kilt (who doesn’t?). Put me down for a 400 acre sheep farm in the middle of the Mull of Kintyre - A snip at $6,500,000 These are a few photographs of the island. More available on the agent’s website.

Artificial Islands

Due to the scarcity of naturally occurring islands and the massive cost of installing the necessary infrastructure to live anything other than a Robinson Crusoe type existence, a simple solution seems to be – build some more. Perhaps not quite as luxurious as owning your own tropical island, they are certainly more convenient, being as most of them are close to a large urban conurbation. A number of artificial island projects have been created over the last few years, some of them quite staggering in scope and size.

The World Dubai

Perhaps the most well-promoted of the man-made private islands projects is “The World.” Nakheel properties, the state owned property development company have built a 300-island artificial archipelago surrounded by an oval breakwater off the coast of Dubai. Islands sell for between $6 million and $250 million. The final stone was laid in the breakwater in January 2008.

60% of the islands have been reported as sold and a number of celebrities have been rumored to have bought personal Islands. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were reported to have purchased an island in 2007, but have since denied this. Most confirmed sales seem to have been to developers planning hotels or amusement parks and thus far, it seems there will not be many private purchases. With only 100 meters between each island (paddling distance) and a cost in the millions I don’t quite see these as a quiet getaway. Hundreds of speed boats dashing between islands and thousands of people coming and going on a daily basis don’t quite fit with my idea of luxury.

One confirmed sale is “Ireland,” to an Irish business consortium Larionovo who intend to create an Irish-themed resort complete with miniature Giant’s Causeway. Investment Dar have purchased Australasia and are planning a “lifestyle destination,” with approximately 2,000 apartments, 200 villas and a number of luxury hotels.

Cinnovation Group recently announced the acquisition of the Nova Island and revealed plans to build a luxurious hospitality haven on the 400,000 sqft island - the project is valued at $200 million. Jean Van Gysel de Meise purchased “Greece,” earlier this year and is planning a “Boutique hotel,” on the Island.

The World pales in comparison to the latest idea, “The Universe,” another man made islands project. This one is still on the drawing board, thank goodness.

Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah

Another artificial Island project in the UAE is Al Marjan Island, situated 16.6 miles southwest of Ras Al Khaimah’s city center. When completed, the Island complex will be over 2.7 million square meters and the development is should be finished in June 2009. Ras Al Khaiman is competing directly with Dubai’s World Island Project and the developer, Rakeen, is keen to point out their preference for ecologically-friendly methods of construction:

Rakeen does not favour ‘hostile dredging’ to create man-made islands. Rather, we have used surface fill with coarse earth material for the Al Marjan Island. Over two million pieces of natural rock were cautiously and carefully laid one at a time for building essential breakwaters, instead of utilizing concrete ripraps that are visually unacceptable and naturally unwelcoming to marine life. This has generated home to marine life over more than 400,000m2 of rock. The rocks will also, in the long term, attract coral life and help a reef formation, giving birth to a new ‘natural’ wonder in RAK and a breathtaking underwater paradise unique to the Arabian Gulf.

Federation Island, Sochi, Russia

Another planned private Island development is on the Black Sea in Russia. The plan for Federation Island is to make the development in the shape of the Russian Federation, copying geographical features. The Russian
river network is used as a reference for the island’s waterways.

Federation Island will comprise seven main, more than twelve private islands and three breakwater islands. Sandy beaches, dunes, grasslands, bushes, small forests and riverside will offer much variety for accommodation ranging from beach residences, luxury villas and apartments to dune, river and cliff houses. If all goes to plan, the Islands will be complete before the winter Olympics in 2014. In September 2007, world-renowned architect, Erick van Egeraat made breaking news with the presentation of his plans for Federation Island. In the meantime, the project has been approved by the Krasnodar regional government (The Krasnodar regional government is this year’s main sponsor of the MIPM real estate fair).

It is fair to say there has been a reasonable amount of opposition to this plan, mostly based on the fact that the idea was first touted by the then-mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, who’s wife, Elena Baturina (ranked number 279 on Forbes Richest List in 2007) just happens to own a group of construction companies. No prizes for guessing who won the contract.

No Mans Land Fort Portsmouth UK

Of course, the idea of a man-made island is not exactly new, and I understand that No Mans Land Fort is still available. Now this is what I call a quiet getaway.

No Mans Land Fort was built between 1867 and 1880 off the coast of Portsmouth as a defense against a sea borne invasion by Napoleon III. Then Prime Minister Lord Palmerston ordered the fort’s construction and I would hazard a guess that the engineering involved in placing the armor-plated granite and steel walls was considerably trickier than using a dredger to suck and blow sand into a pile. The fort is almost 200 feet across and juts 60 feet up from the sea. The water supply comes from a borehole sunk into the seabed and the property generates it’s own electricity. Oddly enough, not wave powered.

The fort was decommissioned in 1957, was briefly a private residence and then a luxury hotel, then a private residence again. Specifications include 21 luxurious rooms, a heated swimming pool and two helipads. Interested parties can contact KMPG and I understand the price is negotiable, but around $ 8 million. Not bad for this level of security. Although I understand that the cannons have been removed and in keeping with the tradition of private island owners falling foul of the law, the most recent owner is currently serving prison time for fraud, so perhaps not quite total security from the Inland Revenue man.

A celebrity is a widely-recognized or famous person who commands a high degree of public and media attention. The word stems from the Latin verb “celebrere” but they may not become a celebrity unless public and mass media interest is piqued. A good example would be Al Gore, whose environmental crusade has elevated him to celebrity status. On the other hand, mass market entertainers personalities such as soap opera actors like Jennifer Aniston (one of the few soap opera stars whom it would appear can actually act) or music stars like Madonna are likely to become celebrities even if the person deliberately avoids media attention - which is itself an unlikely occurrence

Cultural theorist Daniel Boorstin is credited with a famous definition. In his book,The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America, he critically describes a celebrity as “a person who is known for his well-knownness . . . a human pseudo-event.” Paris Hilton for example appears to be famous for being famous and we have yet to work out exactly what she might be good for other than decoration.

Here at the luxury property blog, we, of course, deal exclusively with celebrity real estate goings-on. Not for us the lurid fascination with whom is sleeping with whom. We can safely leave that to the tabloid newspapers and blogs. But, property is a different matter. We have our own celebrity real estate columnist, Becky Scott.

Becky spends her time scouring the world for interesting tidbits, gossip and celebrity real estate news. She even beat the best of the other celebrity property blogs to the drop - with the news that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had leased a vineyard in the South of France, Chateau Miraval.

Chateau Miraval, Provence, France

The Jolie-Pitts are likely to be featured regularly in this section as they have a large disposable income and seem to regularly buy and sell property.

Another celebrity property featured recently was the sale of the stunning Versace Villa on lake Como, purchased by a Russian investor affectionately know as the “Blini Baron.”

Villa Le Fontanelle, Lake Como, Italy

This particular piece of luxury real estate is famous, not only for the fact that is was the favorite haunt of the late Gianni Versace, but the incredible amount of time, effort and money he poured into it to restore the property to it’s original neo-classic splendor.

Within the luxury real estate world we do have our own celebrities, who are famous for being famous in the industry. One in particular, Donald Trump also managed to become a celebrity in his own right. He also seems to be of the opinion that all publicity is good publicity. He hit our radars recently with the sale of his luxury mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, selling for $100million. Quite a profit from the original $41million purchase price.

Donald Trump’s Palm Beach Mansion

Academics began analyzing the phenomenon of celebrity and stardom in the 1970s and according to Sofia Johansson the “canonical texts on stardom” include articles by Boorstin (1971), Alberoni (1972) and Dyer (1979) that examined the “representations of stars and on aspects of the Hollywood star system.” Johansson notes that “more recent analyses within media and cultural studies (e.g. Gamson 1994; Marshall 1997; Giles 2000; Turner, Marshall and Bonner 2000; Rojek 2001; Turner 2004) have instead dealt with the idea of a pervasive, contemporary, ‘celebrity culture’.”

In Bob Greene’s article “The new stardom that doesn’t require paying any dues,” he argues that for “most of man’s history…people of talent would work to create something–something written, something painted, something sculpted, something acted out–and it would be passed on to audiences.” With the rise of reality TV shows, Greene points out that audiences have been turned into the creators. He argues that the “alleged stars of the reality shows “Survivor” and “Big Brother,”have become famous not for doing, but merely for being.”

“	You have to go through many hoops just to talk to a major celebrity. You have to get past three different sets of publicists: the publicist for the event, the publicist for the movie, and then the celebrity’s personal publicist. They all have to approve you.	”
—Michael Musto,

Greene says that “You simply have to be present, in the right place at the right time.” Whereas “…public[ly famous] people were once defined as such based upon the fact that their remarkable skills had brought them to the attention of the public,” Greene states that with reality TV, “one can become a public person just by being a person, in public.”

Celebrities often have fame comparable to that of royalty. As a result, there is a strong public curiosity about their private affairs. Celebrities may be resented for their accolades, and the public may have a love/hate relationship with celebrities. Due to the high visibility of celebrities’ private lives, their successes and shortcomings are often made very public. Celebrities are alternately portrayed as glowing examples of perfection, when they garner awards, or as decadent or immoral if they become associated with a scandal.

Tabloid magazines and talk TV shows bestow a great deal of attention on celebrities. To stay in the public eye and to make money, more celebrities are participating in business ventures such as celebrity-branded items including books, clothing lines, perfume, and household items, but we will stick to the real estate happenings for the foreseeable future.

There are also a few other celebrity stalkers (sorry, reporters) we admire. This includes The Real Estalker, and the L.A. Times hot property section.