Carver Yachts Doubles Holiday Work Stoppage

Filed under:


We’ve seen work stoppages for airplane producers and car manufacturers now Carver Yachts in Pulaski, Wisconsin joins the slow down list. WBAY reports that starting Monday around 140 workers will be off the clock for four weeks which is two weeks longer than the normal, unpaid holiday break. Hundreds of people working for Carver have already lost their jobs due to the economy. There have been rumors that Carver may shut down their Pulaski production line permanently. Carver has said they will re-evaluate in January. The small town of Pulaski is also deeply impacted because many people there work for Carver and because the workers all patronize gas stations, stores and restaurants in the town.

Carver Yachts Doubles Holiday Work Stoppage originally appeared on Luxist on Sun, 14 Dec 2008 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

No Sale For Kirkland Ranch

Filed under:


Last month I wrote about the auction of the Kirkland Ranch Winery in Napa Valley. It looks like the Western-themed winery will be on the market a little bit longer. It failed to attract a successful bidder during a sealed-bid auction which had a a minimum bid of million. International Wine Associates, which is a financial adviser to owner Kirkland Knightsbridge LLC, says that is “less than half of the previous value” of the property. The winery has been on the market for a while but due to the credit crunch has been unable to find a buyer.

There were a few bids but none over the reserve prices of million for the 69-acre winery property or million for the winery plus an additional 186 acres. It will now go back on the traditional market and continue to seek a buyer but they may need to reduce the price again in order to get it sold.

No Sale For Kirkland Ranch originally appeared on Luxist on Sun, 14 Dec 2008 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Fantasia Faces Foreclosure

Filed under:


American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino has become the latest to join our celebrity foreclosure club. A home in Charlotte, North Carolina owned by the singer will be auctioned to pay back a loan that was used to pay her taxes. Broward Energy Partners paid more than ,000 of her taxes in 2006 and says they have not been fully compensated. The earnings from the sale would be used to finish paying off the loan. The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office will auction off the home on January 12 unless she pays her debts. She has another home in the area that is said to be valued at 0,000.

Fantasia Faces Foreclosure originally appeared on Luxist on Sat, 13 Dec 2008 20:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

T-Boz of TLC May Lose Her House

Filed under:

It turns out that Fantasia Barrino isn’t the only one facing a state auction of her home in the new year. Tionne Watkins-Rolison, better known as T-Boz, the T in music group TLC, is set to lose her Georgia home. Her five-bedroom, nearly 10,000-sq. ft. house will go on the auction block in January 2009. According to public records, she’s defaulted on the original principal of her mortgage (around 0,000), and so now the state is taking it. This isn’t her first dance with financial trouble, TLC filed for bankruptcy in 1995 citing debts of over .5 million.

T-Boz of TLC May Lose Her House originally appeared on Luxist on Sat, 13 Dec 2008 22:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

New Riva Yacht Stars at NYC Boat Show

Filed under:


Riva Yachts, the iconic Italian motorboat maker that epitomizes Dolce Vita style, is debuting its newest luxurious creation at the New York Boat Show opening this weekend. The Aquariva Super (above) is a 33-footer combining elegant and sinuous lines, precious woods and supreme attention to detail in carpentry, chrome, lacquer-work, leather, and fittings; it’s priced at about 0,000. Riva, which launched a collaboration with Veuve Clicquot champagne over the summer, first captured the attention of movie stars and the international jet set in the ’50s. Its classic wooden craft, which inspired the Cruise Collection, have been owned by the likes of Brigitte Bardot, Richard Burton, Sophia Loren, Aristotle Onassis and Prince Ranier of Monaco.

Gallery: Aquariva Super

New Riva Yacht Stars at NYC Boat Show originally appeared on Luxist on Sun, 14 Dec 2008 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Sunday Real Estate Round-Up, 12/14/08


From the LA Times Hot Property:
Designer Randolph Duke has put his fabulous Hollywood Hills home, shown above, on the market. The modern home on the AIA award for best residential design in 2007 and was recently featured on the cover of Architectural Digest. it is listed at .25 million.
–Actor Christopher Masterson and Laura Prepon have sold their home for .28 million.
–The creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Kevin Eastman has lowered the price of his home in Beverly Hills to .495 million from .995 million. The listing is here.
–Former Hollywood superagent Michael Ovitz and his wife Judy have listed their seven-bedroom home in Brentwood home for .95 million. The listing is here.
–A home belonging to music producer Michael Blakey has been reduced by .7 million to .995 million. He listed the home in August for .695 million. The property website is here.
–The home belonging to music producer Scott Humphrey has come on the market for .695 million. It will be our estate of the day later today.
–Sex advice columnist and author Laura Corn’s Malibu house has been reduced to .795 million after two price drops. She listed it in August for .4 million. The listing is here.

From Celebrity Big Time Listings:
–Mr. Big Time checks out the real estate past of lovely actress Gretchen Mol who picked up a house in Venice, California for .505 million in 2005, the real estate moves of actress Mindy Kaling of “The Office,” who became a first-time homebuyer last year when she paid .575 million for a home in Los Angeles’ Beverly Grove neighborhood, and the real estate dealings of “Entourage” actor Rhys Coiro, who paid 5,000 in late 2007 for his home in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles.
–Actress Amy Yasbeck, who is the widow of actor John Ritter, has listed a four-bedroom house in the Hollywood Hills on the market for .495 million. The listing is here.

From the Wall Street Journal’s Private Properties:
–The Polish government has paid .55 million last week for the Washington home of former Treasury secretary Nicholas F. Brady. The home will be used as an ambassador’s residence.
–The WSJ covers a home that we looked at as an estate of the day last month, the Appleton-Parker residence, a 18,000-square-foot house designed by architect Alexander Parris which is listed at .5 million.
–Canadian businessman Peter Nygard is offering his Bahamas home for rent, asking ,000 a night, or nearly 0,000 a week — making it one of the most expensive vacation-home rentals in the world. The rental comes with use of an 82-foot yacht, a 48-foot fishing boat, two all-terrain trucks, a full staff, two pools and multiple spas, a 24-seat theater that can play three movies simultaneously, a spa and a disco room. The listing is here.

From the NY Post’s Page Six:
–Back in May “Desperate Housewives” star Nicollette Sheridan and Michael Bolton bought a Hidden Hills mansion from Melissa Etheridge and her wife Tammy Lynn Michaels for .4 million. Bolton put his Westport, Connecticut home on the market for million (it was our estate of the day in August). Sheridan kicked him out of their Hidden Hills home and so now Bolton is essentially homeless even though he owns two homes.

From the NY Post’s Gimme Shelter:
— Bjork is looking for a Manhattan apartment. She has been searching TriBeCa and SoHo for a three-bedroom place in the million to million range. She was recently spotted checking out a three-bedroom duplex loft at 79 Laight St. with a .995 million asking price. This is the same apartment Naomi Watts toured when it was listed for .3 million. The listing is here.
–Natasha Lyonne has found a buyer for her studio penthouse. Her Gramercy Towers unit at 200 East 16th St. closed for 0,000.
–Alan Alda has picked up another apartment on his floor at Millennium Tower on West 67th Street. Alda and his wife of 51 years, Arlene, have paid million for an adjacent two-bedroom condo.
–The Pierre hotel pad belonging to Lionel Pincus has had a major price adjustment. The 14-room duplex in the Fifth Avenue building is now for sale for million price tag after a million reduction. The listing is here.

From the Real Estalker:
–Gossip Girl co-creator Stephanie Savage has put her Los Angeles home on the market for 4,500. The listing is here.
— Keira Knightley may have picked up a £2,500,000 townhouse in Shoreditch, East London.
–Reality TV producer David Garfinkle and MTV executive Maira Suro have listed their home in Encino for .699 million. The listing is here.

From TMZ:
–Michael Vick’s home, which was up for auction for bids over 0,000 on December 12, failed to find a buyer.

From Newday’s Real LI:
–A 12-room spread in Brookville that was actually once a cow barn is on the market for 2,094,876. The listing is here.
–Randolph Lerner, owner of the Cleveland Browns NFL football team, just sold a 2.5 acre property on Further Lane in Amagansett for .895 million

From the NY Observer’s Manhattan Transfers:
–Rap manager Chris Lighty just bought two apartments at the new Chelsea Stratus. He paid .28 million total, according to city records filed this week.
–Richard Mack, an executive at the multibillion-dollar investment group Apollo Real Estate, paid million for Spence-Chapin’s 24,463-square-foot headquarters at 4-8 East 94th Street and after some renovations put it on the market for million, million more than he paid. It has now been reduced to .5 million. The listing is here.

Sunday Real Estate Round-Up, 12/14/08 originally appeared on Luxist on Sun, 14 Dec 2008 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Residence Superieur Black Card (Membership)

Want a luxury lifestyle, but don’t want to pay for it all of the time?

Richard Nilsson, an international lifestyle designer has launched a new Black Card as part of his “Residence Superieur” club, allowing members access to luxury lifestyle residences, dining, travel, and experiences at fractional cost.

residence_superieur_black_card Residence Superieur Black Card (Membership)

Sample card benefits include:

  • Access to Residence Superieur mansions (updated annually)
  • Access to Private Jet Service.
  • Invitations to the Residence Superieur events.
  • Access to the Residence Superieur Connoisseur Collection and shop
  • Yearly giveaways from the Connoisseur Collection
  • Access to the exclusive printed version of Superieur magazine.
  • Access to the Residence Superieur network.

All of this will cost you 200,000 euros per year.

richard_nilsson_black_card_only Residence Superieur Black Card (Membership)

Visa Black Card Concierge

In our initial comparison of the Visa Black Card and American Express Centurion Card we noted material types; Outside of card types the things that stand out are, how hard is this card to get (e.g. is it truly exclusive?) , and what real benefits does it offer? The the main things that stands out is the concierge service, but we have yet to see what this can deliver. Visa lists the following, but as with any concierge it’s defendant on the actual service, both American Express tout. American Express Centurion Concierge has been in business since 1999, over 9 years.
Or you can go to Visa’s Black Card Official Site with the details below.
Here’s what Visa cites as examples of Concierge abilities.
Entertainment Planning (Information, Referrals, Reservations, Ticketing)
  • Recommended Restaurants
  • Health clubs
  • Sports entertainment events
  • Golf Tee Time
  • Shopping locations
Business Services (Referrals & Arrangements)
  • Conference service
  • Emergency translation services via phone
  • Computer rental, audio/visual equipment
  • Message service
  • Foreign protocol information
Travel Information and Assistance (Referrals/Recommendations, Reservations)
  • Weather forecasts/ATM locations
  • VISA passport locations
  • Customs, duties and information
  • Mass transportation information and schedules
  • Hotel information
  • Mail/fax destination package
  • Car rentals, limousine & car service information
  • Flight information and ticketing
Country and City Information
  • Highlights/sights/exhibitions/shows
  • Festivals/museum/music entertainment information
  • Time/hours/holidays information
  • Tourist information
  • Shopping information
Gift Arrangements
  • Gift baskets
  • Floral arrangements
  • Specific gifts (as requested)
  • Special occasion gift recommendations
Specialty Services
  • Assistance with location and purchase of specialty items.
  • For example:
    • Rare books or records;
    • Unusual household items;
    • And referrals to specialty services such as dog groomers, tailors and doll makers
  • Hard to find items; special research; specialty shopping

Visa CEO Loses Wallet

Wonder what other plastic he’s got in there? Think Centurion/Black AmEx Card and a MasterCard World Elite! Keep in mind, if he did have the Centurion Card, he could have had all of his cards replaced through the card replacement program, although, I’m sure he’s got enough personal assistants to take care of that.

“I’m supposed to start off, and say that I’m very happy to be here, and I guess I am. But it’s 4:15 in the morning as far as I’m concerned, and I lost my wallet on the way here,” Saunders said. “It’s rather embarrassing when somebody steals my credit cards.” The comment prompted laughter.
Saunders began his presentation at 7:15 a.m EST.

via Reuters

MasterCard World Elite

MasterCard World EliteThe World Elite MasterCard is MasterCard’s highest card offering, providing travel benefits, reservation programs, special rewrads programs, Concierge, etc. World Elite cardholders get access to Virtuoso travel consultant services, including special upgrades, amenities, and rare travel experiences provided through the Virtuoso international luxury travel network. Cardholders also have access to a concierge service that provides personalized recommendations, help with reservations with dining, travel, entertainment, and other services on a 24/7/365 basis. The World Elite MasterCard program holds table at restaurants, tickets at sporting events, special shopping access, as well as tailored spa/salon experiences. Finally as with any card, the World Elite MasterCard provides access to savings and goods with retail, dining, and personal care services.