On the Market: Very Big and Very Grand In Forest Hill

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Friday, March 23, 2012, by Sally Kuchar It's not uncommon to find a plethora of big abodes in Forest Hill, where the average list price is $1,195,000. It should come as no surprise then to find that 225 Magellan, a 5-bed, 5.5-bath home, has just landed on the market with an asking price of $3,295,000. The Tudorish home was built in 1933 and was designed by starchitect Edward E. Young. The listing tells us that it's a "one of a kind property that demonstrates style and examples of art deco interior, as well as other impressive architectural features throughout." We're going to have to agree. Look up, down, to the right or left, and there's something going on. For instance, the giant rotunda entry has travertine floors and a terrazzo staircase with iron and bronze railings. The atrium rotunda (how many rotundas does it take to make a house a home?) has a marble fountain with European figures. And wow, how about that bathroom? Larger than most studio apartments here in the City, we're sure. Other property highlights include a dog run, wine cellar, library, and "original peacock glass stained window."
· 255 Magellan [Redfin] 255 Magellan Ave, San Francisco, CA

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PriceChopper: Identity Crisis at the SOMA Grand

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Thursday, March 15, 2012, by Sally Kuchar Was: $1,998,000
Now: $1,888,000
You Save: $110,000

This SOMA Grand condo is being described as a "dazzling Philippe Starck-style top floor corner penthouse," and we would really like to know how Philippe Starck would feel about having his unique and innovative style associated with this property. The 2-bed, 2-bath, 1,660 square foot "penthouse" last sold in in January of 2010 for $1,145,000. Why did it get plopped back on the market for almost a million more bucks? "$800K+ (per owner) custom designer finishes." Which we hope you rip right out upon moving in. This place is averaging $1,137 per square foot, which almost doubles the neighborhood average of $663. Pair that with the monthly HOA dues of $851.38 and we think this condo might have another price chop in its future. 2-car parking in the garage is included in the sale.
· 1160 Mission Street, #2313 [Redfin]

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Globe Trotting: A Pitch-Perfect Piano Nobile Flat on Venice's Grand Canal

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Tuesday, January 31, 2012, by Rob Bear

Set on the piano nobile of the Palazzo Calbo Crotta, a palatial house on Venice's Grand Canal, this three-bedroom, three-bath fairytale apartment was restored by the current owners, a British couple who are selling to pursue their dream of a farmhouse in Tuscany. When the pair purchased the apartment, it was still undergoing a radical restoration, with conservators working through layers of black grime in the magnificent dining room, with "no electricity or water" and "doors and windows were rotten." Undeterred, the couple signed a contract to purchase the palatial flat, which includes frescos dating from the 1760s that depict the Dido and Aneas allegory, believed to have been painted by Giustino Menescardi. While most of the apartment, including the gorgeous grand salone, were restored to their period grandeur, the kitchen and bathrooms were updated to modern standards, with Phillipe Stark fixtures and sleek modern cabinetry. The price, as one might imagine, is only available on request, but chances are this is one of the most expensive properties currently on the market in Venice.

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On the Market: Suburban Chicago's Le Grand Rêve Set for Pre-Halloween Auction

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Friday, September 9, 2011, by Rob Bear

Eagle-eyed readers might recognize Winnetka, Ill. as home to the Home Alone house, but this overwhelming, overbuilt monstrosity has little on the stately brick Georgian Kevin Macallister called home. Le Grand Rêve—"The Big Dream"—has been more of a nightmare for the empty nesters that attempted to downsize, starting in 2009. The house, which reportedly cost as much at $40M to build, was initially listed for $32M, then over the next two years was chopped down to $23M without selling. Now, the owners are getting a little fed up with waiting and have decided to send the 27,000-square-foot palace to auction. The auction is scheduled for October 29, meaning the new owner could take possession just in time to throw a nightmarish Halloween party.
· Winnetka, Illinois [Concierge Auctions]
· Le Grand Reve Headed for Le Grand Auction [Curbed Chicago]
· Dreaming a Little Smaller at Le Grand Reve in Winnetka [Curbed Chicago]
· Home Alone House For Sale, Macallisters Moving On [Curbed National]

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Turf Wars: SoMa Grand Residents to Feds: Clean Up Your Act

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Tuesday, July 26, 2011, by Abby Pontzer

[photo via Sally Kuchar]

Turns out living near 7th and Mission can be a little gritty, as SoMa Grand residents are finding out. They share a courtyard with the Federal Building, and when workers leave for the night, residents say that no-gooders turn the courtyard into a drinking, drugging, and urinating free-for-all. This is, of course, the story we hear a lot with the mid-Market area. But when an entity (government or corporation) actually uses a building instead of leaving it vacant, it becomes their responsibility to keep the area clean, lest it reflect poorly against them. Who would SoMa Grand residents complain to if they shared the courtyard with just another boarded up storefront? The Feds have actually committed to station night guards and perform regular cleaning. We wonder if we will see this happen in the rest of Mid-Market during the "revitalization."
· S.F. federal building plaza draws neighbors' ire [SF Gate]

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