Several historically important sites have been sold off or are being sold for redevelopment into prisons or housing for asylum seekers or up market housing
Raf Coltishall
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/7845354.stm
RAF Bentley Priory
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/3360291/Bentley-Priory-A-piece-of-history-for-the-few.html
Now the former home of the Red Arrows and The Dam Busters (RAF Scampton) is being ear marked for sale
Men flew from airfields such as Coltishall, and Scampton to fight for US and OUR freedom, we repay them by selling their memory to the highest bidder??
The Decisions that were made at Bentley Priory in the late summer of 1940, saved not only Britain but the entire free world from the threat of Nazi domination, and now this Historic site is to become "luxury flats" does this make anyone else sick to their stomachs??
I dont want to see these sites left to rot, they should become national heritage assets and be preserved, just as places like the Roman amthi theatre in Caerleon South Wales, Canterbury Cathederal, Rochester Castle, Leeds Castle, Various other grand buildings all over the UK
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it,
how can you learn from history if places of historical importance are being destroyed??
That just typical Labour scum for you
No respect for the people that saved us!!!!
Luxury Home Video Tours and Virtual Tours in Colorado Luxury Real Estate. PRICE: $3,950,000 CONTACT: Deb Moeller 719-491-6642
ADDRESS: 1664 Vine Cliff HT., Colorado Springs, Colorado.
DESCRIPTION: Palacial Tuscan in the gated Flying Horse Golf Community. Uniquely designed & masterfully built this residence has so many intricate details one simply must see it! Magnificent 20ft foyer; 10ft custom, hand-rubbed iron front doors; See-through fireplace in master shower; laundry area in master closet; Exercise room; Wine Room; Crestron Lighting System with Sony Audio/Video. High Pressure AC System; 1200+ sq ft of outdoor living area with hot tub; Radiant heat in garages; Motor cycle garage AND MUCH MORE!
Video Tour Service. Presenting the finest Luxury Homes in Colorado, celebrity homes, and HGTV Mansions. Luxury Home Video Tours filmed on location. Luxury Real Estate on TV and in the news. Castles and Mansions for Sale in CO.
http://www.TheLuxuryBrokers.com All Rights Reserved. Information Deemed Reliable But Not Guaranteed.
Neither The Luxury Brokers, LLC. nor the service providers for The Luxury Brokers, LLC. are liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the information provided through this website. © 2009 The Luxury Brokers, LLC.
Duration : 0:1:33
Read the rest of this entry »
Luxury Home Videos and Virtual Tours in Arizona. Luxury Real Estate. CONTACT: Heather Wagenhals, Broker (866) 966-9420 Toll Free (480) 522-1066 Office or visit: http://www.logmahal.com
DESCRIPTION: The Log Mahal boasts 16,000 sq ft, 7 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms, servants quarters, and a 6 car garage. Built with 175 year old reclaimed wood floors, unique hand carved doors imported from Mexico and Peru, and massive stone work throughout that took masons 18 months to complete. The fabulous décor fuses western original and modern art with the elegant glamour of Hollywoods past including over one million dollars of unique artwork, Charlie Russell Bronze Statues, James Deans Lil Porsche, 2005 Ferrari and more, 1800s style saloon, wine tasting cellar, private elevator, 2 full kitchens, 6 fireplaces, full size arcade and a 200sqft playhouse. Fly privately into the Payson Airport.
Video Tour Service. Presenting the finest Luxury Homes in ARIZONA, celebrity homes, and HGTV Mansions. Luxury Home Video Tours filmed on location. Luxury Real Estate on TV and in the news. Castles and Mansions for Sale in AZ.
http://www.TheLuxuryBrokers.com All Rights Reserved. Information Deemed Reliable But Not Guaranteed.
Neither The Luxury Brokers, LLC. nor the service providers for The Luxury Brokers, LLC. are liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the information provided through this website. © 2009 The Luxury Brokers, LLC.
Duration : 0:6:13
Read the rest of this entry »
My husband and I are purchasing our 2nd home for $165,000. We can put $7,000 toward the down payment from the sale of our first house. To get 5% down on the new house would be $8,250. This would be fine, because we have over $3000 in the bank after paying this month’s bills, and only need to use $1250 of it.
However, our bank will not allow us to to use the $3000 that we have (from recent paychecks) because it hasn’t been sitting in the bank for 2 months!!! So they are requiring us to get 100% financing.
Is this _as ridiculous as it seems_, or are there other banks which would allow us to use the money we have earned at our jobs – which we can prove with our paystubs!!!
We don’t have the luxury of sitting around and waiting for 2 months to prove ourselves to the bank (because I have been transferred with my job). And the 100% financing is a bad deal as far as interest rates and the extreme pickiness of the underwriters on every possible issue.
Should we try another bank?
this differs from bank to bank but
Downpayment is required for any property purchase.
the money in the bank for 2 months etc is also requrie for the purpose of seasoning.
i feel you shall check with other bank if they give u better deal.
Pretend you’re a real estate agent, showing a 5 million dollar home to a nationally known sports star. This sports star and his beautiful actress wife really like the house. If the sale is made…the commission will allow you to buy a new luxury car and pay off a lot of bills.
As the sale is about to be closed, the athlete’s cell phone rings and his smile turns to a frown. He has just been traded and will be leaving town. He relays the message to his wife who breaks down and cries.
Question: how old is the real estate person?
I guess how old I am right? Because it says pretend you are a relastate person. lol. idk. :]
Luxury Home Video Tours and Virtual Tours in Texas Luxury Real Estate CONTACT: Michele Turnquist, 512-328-3939, Turnquist Partners. EMAIL: m@turnquistpartners.com WEBSITE: http://www.micheleturnquist.com/
ADDRESS: 18109 Travis Circle, Lago Vista, Austin, TX 78645
DESCRIPTION: Old World style custom stone home on the main body of Lake Travis with 1,000 feet of gently sloping water frontage and situated on approximately 13.5 acres is completely gated and located in a small incorporated subdivision directly across from Carlos and Charlies Restaurant with beautiful views of the lake. Offering 4 Bedrooms, including a spacious Master Bedroom and spa bath, Great Room, Formal Dining, Study/Library, Gameroom, and Gourmet Kitchen with upscale appliances, plus numerous unique architectural features throughout the home. This estate consists of the Main Residence, Guest House and one Guest Apartment with 4 full kitchens and beautifully landscaped grounds, including a private road system, a negative edge pool and spa and an allowance of $100,000 for a custom boat dock. This is truly a one of a kind property on the North Shore of beautiful Lake Travis!
• Observation Tower with full views of Lake Travis
• 4 Car Garage, 2nd floor is Apartment perfect for caretaker or guests quarters.
• Horses allowed with quarters
• Heliport and Helicopter allowed
• State of the Art security system
Video Tour Service. Virtual Tour Service. Presenting the finest Luxury Homes in Texas, celebrity homes, and HGTV Mansions. Luxury Home Video Tours filmed on location. Luxury Real Estate on TV and in the news. Castles and Mansions for Sale in TX.
http://www.TheLuxuryBrokers.com All Rights Reserved. Information Deemed Reliable But Not Guaranteed.
Neither The Luxury Brokers, LLC. nor the service providers for The Luxury Brokers, LLC. are liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the information provided through this website. © 2009 The Luxury Brokers, LLC.
Duration : 0:2:15
Read the rest of this entry »
My parents divocred when I was 4 years old. My father left my mother for another woman and when my mom left our home, he sold it and bought a new home for him and his wife. My father tricked my mother into signing the home over to him and he never gave her anything from the sale. We had to move in with family because my mom had never worked and she got a job as a sale clerk. Long story short, my father was able to become very wealthy and travel the world. But my father barely sent my mother anything support and stopped paying when I was 13. My father would visit once or twice a year but we were never able to have a bonding relationship because he always lived in another state. I’m not a grown adult who put myself through college and have a lovely family. But for some reason I am unable to let go off the resentment I feel for the way I lived as a child while my father was living the life of luxury. My father is very wealthy today but has never offered any financial help or assistance. I have to get over this once and for all.
This is a very sad story and i cant imagine the pain you must feel especially now that you have your own family and realize how great children are. I dont think you will ever get rid of the sadness you feel for what you missed out on. Your father was a very selfish person and he did alot of damage to your soul. You will never forget what he did but you can forgive and move on and just live your life to the best of your ability. Just think of it as making you a stronger person in the long run and appreciating your own family. Your father undoubtedly loves you in his own warp way but he is just a selfish person and im sure he’s not completely happy with himself even though he is very wealthy. Money is great and all but it cant buy you happiness. I must say though that you have to accept the fact that your father may never come around and may never offer any financial assistance or leave you any kind of inheritance. Its okay to grieve but you have to accept that it is what it is and he will never change.
I have a father that i used to hold alot of resentment for. Although my situation is totally different from yours, my father was with us but never around b/c he worked 7 days a week and when he was home, he was very uptight and not very affectionate with us. I still have memories of the emotional abuse as a teenager and i had alot of feelings of anger and resentment for years. Im 41 years old now and i finally let go of the hate and anger b/c i had a baby and my father has really done alot for my child now. We were all surprised. He really loves my little baby. He was a horrible grandfather to my son and his other grandson, just not very affectionate and emotionally distant. But with my baby, he has changed. So you never know.
It is what it is. Please get some counselling or read some self help books to just move on with your life and learn how to accept the fact that your father willnever probably change. Be grateful that your mother and your grandparents were by your side and that this is your family. Live and learn from what your father did . I feel your pain.
This residence on Burgess Road in Forster, NSW is an architectural masterpiece in quality and style, with special features including large curved tiled decks with glass balustrades and a large jacuzzi with a calming, rhythmic water feature. Absolute beachfront, and with views over the ocean and Cape Hawke, it is offered for sale at $1.45 million AUD.
To launch the property website go to: http://1-burgess-road-forster.marquetteturner.com/
Contact: Michael Marquette on +61 433 170 170 or email michael@marquetteturner.com.au
Duration : 0:0:51
Read the rest of this entry »
Abstract (Summary)
Instead, Giancarlo Di Risio, Versace’s bespectacled chief executive, presided over an evening that highlighted luxury goods: Parked at one end of the courtyard was a half-million-dollar Lamborghini Murcielago with a black-and-white leather interior by Versace. A huge poster showed an AgustaWestland helicopter with a Versace-designed cabin. Stacked nearby was luggage embossed with the brand’s Greek motif, with pieces starting at about $4,000.
The company found it increasingly tough to squeeze profits out of highly perishable fashions as production costs rose in Italy. In 1997, Mr. Versace was murdered outside his Miami villa. The firm’s finances went into a tailspin, and it was forced to shelve plans to go public. Mr. Versace’s 50% stake in the label went to his niece, Ms. Versace’s then-preteen daughter Allegra Versace Beck, shifting the balance of power. Though Ms. Versace owns only 20% of the company, she was seen to exert huge influence because of her daughter’s stake. A third sibling, Santo Versace, owns the remaining 30% of the company. Ms. Versace Beck, now 20 years old, manages her stake with the help of advisers.
"I said to Di Risio, ‘This is not going to work. This is going to die,’" recalled Ms. Versace. But, she said, "I was wrong, and he was right. We sell more now."
» Jump to indexing (document details)
Full Text (1463 words)
(c) 2007 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Reproduced with permission of copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
Milan — When Italian fashion house Gianni Versace SpA recently threw a cocktail party in the courtyard of its 16th-century palazzo to promote its latest creations, designer Donatella Versace ducked out of the soiree early, flanked by bodyguards.
Instead, Giancarlo Di Risio, Versace’s bespectacled chief executive, presided over an evening that highlighted luxury goods: Parked at one end of the courtyard was a half-million-dollar Lamborghini Murcielago with a black-and-white leather interior by Versace. A huge poster showed an AgustaWestland helicopter with a Versace-designed cabin. Stacked nearby was luggage embossed with the brand’s Greek motif, with pieces starting at about $4,000.
Mr. Di Risio is trying to shift Versace’s attention away from clothes and to accessories, home interiors and other lifestyle products that will bring in new streams of revenue and offset fickle fashion cycles. "Fashion does not exist at Versace," he said, describing his strategy in an interview before the reception.
The new approach is bearing fruit. Versace swung back into the black last year, posting a $25.4 million profit after years of losses, and has shaken off millions in debt. Driving that turnaround were rising sales in the lucrative accessories Mr. Di Risio is pushing.
Yet the effects of the makeover have touched the core of the company’s identity. Ms. Versace has begun taming the flamboyant clothing designs that once set her and the fashion house apart from the crowd. "I no longer recognize myself in that kind of woman," the 52-year-old Ms. Versace said in a telephone interview.
The culture shift at Versace highlights how an increasingly competitive fashion industry is forcing even the most freewheeling players to embrace a corporate culture. Many labels, including LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s smaller brands like Celine and Marc Jacobs, have also been toning down their looks to appeal to a wider swath of consumers. Designers who once called the shots are ceding authority to executives who run the numbers.
"In the beginning, it was a shock for me," Ms. Versace said. "When you tell a person who is used to being in power — to saying yes or no on everything — to take a step back, it’s not easy. But it was necessary."
Tweaking a label’s aesthetics carries risks. If pushed too far, transformations risk alienating loyal customers, says Robert Burke, head of New York-based luxury-goods consultancy Robert Burke Associates and the former fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman. "You will always want to see a fashion edge to Versace," he says.
Yet for family-owned fashion labels like Versace, pressure to make more money is high. They compete with publicly traded conglomerates such as LVMH and PPR SA’s Gucci Group, which have the financial heft to expand with stores in the emerging markets of China, India and Russia — seen as fueling the industry’s growth.
A number of Italy’s top family-owned fashion houses, including Versace, Prada SpA and Salvatore Ferragamo SpA, are considering stock- market listings in the next couple of years. "An IPO would be the best way to raise money and implant in these countries," says Peter Farren, a luxury-goods analyst at the French investment firm Bryan Garnier.
At Versace, a sobering realization is spurring Mr. Di Risio’s moves: The clothes that once made the brand are now struggling to make money.
In its heyday in the early 1990s, Versace stayed ahead of the fashion mainstream with lavish catwalk shows that celebrated the racy designs of founder Gianni Versace. The label amassed collections of real estate and artwork that enhanced the family’s jet-setter status.
The company found it increasingly tough to squeeze profits out of highly perishable fashions as production costs rose in Italy. In 1997, Mr. Versace was murdered outside his Miami villa. The firm’s finances went into a tailspin, and it was forced to shelve plans to go public. Mr. Versace’s 50% stake in the label went to his niece, Ms. Versace’s then-preteen daughter Allegra Versace Beck, shifting the balance of power. Though Ms. Versace owns only 20% of the company, she was seen to exert huge influence because of her daughter’s stake. A third sibling, Santo Versace, owns the remaining 30% of the company. Ms. Versace Beck, now 20 years old, manages her stake with the help of advisers.
The Versace stakeholders decided the company needed a CEO who could turn the company around. Fabio Cacciatori, at one time an outside financial consultant for the company, became CEO in September 2003 but resigned in December. The company named Versace’s then-Chief Financial Officer Daniele Ballestrazzi interim CEO as it searched for new leadership.
When Versace recruited Mr. Di Risio from LVMH’s Fendi label in the summer of 2004, the house was saddled with more than $146 million in debt and heading to a net loss of $124 million for the year, on revenue of $416 million. High-end retailers like Bergdorf Goodman had stopped carrying the brand.
Bergdorf Chief Executive Jim Gold recalls that Versace was distributing too widely, diluting its exclusivity, and was overly consumed with making a splash on the runway. While many labels had started delivering retailers fresh designs more frequently, ahead of the runway collections, Versace resisted.
Mr. Di Risio arrived with a new mantra. Clothing that is too fashionable, he told his lieutenants, is bad for business because it eats up capital and goes out of style quickly. Accessories and other leather goods are a better bet because they have a longer shelf life and fatter profit margins.
To reduce Versace’s dependence on fashion, Mr. Di Risio shut down lines such as Versace Intimates lingerie and Versace Young, a children’s line. The company sold its unprofitable perfume, jewelry and watchmaking divisions, replacing them with lucrative licensing agreements with U.S. watch group Timex Corp. and Italian perfume and cosmetics maker EuroItalia Srl.
Mr. Di Risio homed in on the company’s shoes and handbags, which have higher profit margins because they cost less to produce than clothes but are easier to sell to a wide array of customers. Last year, more than 30% of Versace’s $383 million in revenue came from accessories, compared with 4% when Mr. Di Risio arrived.
He also expanded the label’s push into home furnishings — a business that generated sales of $82.5 million in 2006, up 55% from the year before. Versace recently unveiled its "Jet Seat," an aerodynamically-styled leather chair in a high-tech ceramic frame that is sold in Europe for <euro>38,000 (about $50,000).
"It was like taking a blank page and rewriting everything," Mr. Di Risio says.
To succeed, however, he had to get Ms. Versace on board. She had hoped to resurrect the costly haute-couture fashion shows the label had discontinued before Mr. Di Risio’s arrival. But he argued she could more effectively enhance the line’s exclusivity by holding showings for individual clients.
"I said to Di Risio, ‘This is not going to work. This is going to die,’" recalled Ms. Versace. But, she said, "I was wrong, and he was right. We sell more now."
Ms. Versace had to become more conscious of how much time and money the label invests in promoting designs at events like the Oscars. Last year, the designer dressed actresses Hilary Swank, Uma Thurman and Salma Hayek and director Robert Altman’s wife, Kathryn Reed Altman, who donned a navy-blue sequin gown.
This year, however, Ms. Versace limited herself to one gown, designing a rose-colored dress with a sweeping train for best-actress nominee Penelope Cruz.
For Versace’s ready-to-wear line, Ms. Versace is going for looks she calls "a little more understated." Bergdorf Goodman will carry her designs in the fall for the first time in years.
Ms. Versace is also working more closely with retailers, adding four more collections beyond the traditional spring and fall runway collections. These are shown to retailers in private visits, giving them a preview of what to expect.
On the financial side, Mr. Di Risio has untangled the company’s assets from those of the family, selling property he deemed "nonstrategic" to pay the company’s debts. The family’s Manhattan townhouse was sold for about $35 million, and its contents went up for auction in 2005. The paintings alone — including works by artists Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Roy Lichtenstein and Julian Schnabel — fetched more than $11 million dollars.
Flagship stores in New York, London and Milan that Mr. Di Risio described as "decadent and sad," were redone with sleek, minimalist designs.
The label, which operates 82 stores and has 35 franchise operations, plans to open more than 10 boutiques by the end of the year, including seven stores in China alone. When Versace opened the doors of its updated Moscow boutique in April, an array of leather bags, belts and shoes greeted customers at the store’s lacquered ground-floor entrance. The label’s ready-to-wear collection was relegated to the upper floor.
In my opinion, the Versace label is nothing more than a shadow of it’s former glory and nothing will bring it back. When Gianni Versace died, so did the distinctive artistic fashion vision of the label. Donattella does not have her brother’s artistry and does not have his gift for technical innovation. G.Versace introduced light weight fusibles into men’s and women’s tailoring, and with that innovation creatively and artistically explored all the styling options offered by this method; ushering in the soft modern italian style of tailoring, which everyone uses. D Versace isn’t capable of making a creative and technical leap of that size, she has neither the vision, the artistic skill, not the technical expertise. Check the dates and the numbers- Gianni’s death is when the trouble started.
I am very interested in becoming a doctor and right now that is my main goal. But I know that I am supposed to have a back up plan. Well I figured that since I love to look at different houses and I wouldnt want to be a real estate agent that I should learn how to construct luxury houses in luxury places. I still want to build/design my home anyway.
If it cost under 1,000,000 build (materials and work) to build but the amenities (such as large kitchen, extra rooms, a theater and sauna, maybe a home gym, etc.) make the house valued well over $2million, can I sell it for that price. I would love to do that and then I would have made a million when the sale finally went through (I know that it would maybe take a while to sell.
With that money I could use it to build more and more and make lots of many doing something I love.
Is this a realistic alternative to being a doctor?
I would probably need someone to invest but they are almost guaranteed their money back and then some.
Yes People do this all the time. IF you have land and build a home on it you can sell it for what ever you want. That does not mean you will get what you ask for.
IF you have ever heard of T.O. He had his Realtor knock on someones door and asked if they wanted to sell there house for lets say 2 million Dollars they said no the Realtor said how about 3 million the people then asked the Realtor how soon do you want us out.
That’s a true story but I’m not sure about the numbers. I could be low.