Sure, that $175,000,000 ( yes 175 million!) might set you back a bit, but a modest downpayment and favorable interest rates, who could pass on this!

Yes, supposedly, this is the most expensive house on the market.

Main house The penthouse floor consists of four bedrooms, two bathrooms, two shower rooms and two powder rooms, two dressing rooms, two walk through sitting/dining rooms, a terrace with infinity pool and central leisure/reception area.

There are also a further three balconies/terraces, including the large terrace over the port cochere. The first floor incorporates eight bedroom/bathroom suites. Each is individually designed with balcony access. The ground floor surrounded by wide marble terraces providing access to the gardens, incorporates a grand hallway, a sunken reception area, as well as bar and dining areas which lead to the East and West Wings.

The East Wing holds the Master-bedroom Suite consisting of a sitting area, bedroom and bathroom, a limed oak corridor between the bedroom and the bathroom, direct access to the East Wing pool balcony and the glass lift to the pool area. There are two powder rooms, conference room and library/reading room.

The West Wing at ground floor level includes a cherry panelled office, open plan breakfast room, kitchen, private sitting room, two further powder rooms and the banqueting hall. There is access to the West Wing pool, which is surrounded by marble pillars and which includes a beauty salon, sauna and male and female dressing rooms. The basement of the property includes an underground garage, which can hold up to eight luxury cars, various store rooms and the industrial kitchen with cold rooms, freezer rooms and a wash room.

A corridor leading from the garage accesses a glass lobby which leads into the bowling alley and the gymnasium area. Close by are the male and female changing rooms, the cinema and wine cellar. There is also a walk in strong room/safe, a billiard/snooker area and a squash court. A lift has been designed to service all floors and there is a separate lift to connect the industrial kitchen with the breakfast room. Guest accommodation There are two separate guest properties. One consists of six bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, a kitchen/dining area and an upstairs sitting room.

The other includes three bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, a kitchen/dining area and upstairs sitting room. Estate manager’s office Attached to the three bedroom guest accommodation is the block providing further garaging for four large vehicles, the laundry and the estate manager’s office with ensuite facilities.

Gatehouse The gatehouse incorporates two bedrooms, a conservatory, a kitchen/breakfast room, a sitting room, two separate powder rooms, a security room and waiting area. There are also two pool houses on the estate, one by each of the outside pools.

For more info see: http://www.dreamrealty.com/listing_info.php?lid=185

Read the full listing details here

I have decided to go back through some of our travel posts and add a note to the bottom of each post. The additional will be called “Desire to return”, with a yes, no, and a qualifier (probably).

Sunny and I just spent the last weekend in Palm Beach Florida at the Ritz-Carlton. The trip was an incentive reward for Ameriprise employees that had reached certain levels of sales and/or volume for Riversource products. Sunny has continued to be one of the highest producers as a Regional Sales Director, Asset Management (more commonly called a mutual fund wholesaler). In any event the trip was a reward which the company considers to be a top notch reward program where among VP’s and Senior VP’s, CEO and CIO of the company were present to recognize the high producers.

The Ritz-Carlton in Palm Beach is a beautiful hotel. The staff, for the most part, were incredibly hospital, as it should be with the hotel rates. However the facility is really isolated. There is not much around. With the developments nearby I would guess the 10-20 years ago the property had no neighbors at all, a rather strange location to stick a high end hotel.

Apparently the more central place to be is West Palm Beach.

Desire to return: None. There are much more festive place in Florida. Unless you like staying at a beautiful hotel with little resources surrounded by 55+ condo buildings, the Ritz-Carlton is a dud too.

Read the full listing details here

The Minneapolis public school Clara Barton is having its 26th annual plant sale.

The plants are provided especially for Barton School by a local nursery.  The 25 year success of this sale allows the school to sell top quality plants at a competitive price.  Purchases help provide educational materials, art performances, field trip scholarships, and parent involvement assistance, which enhances the educational opportunities for all the students at Clara Barton Open School.

Click here for the order form.

The deadline for ordering is April 21.

Help suppot a local community school.

Read the full listing details here