MG Properties Group bought Ocean Village, Oceanside for $11.8 million and with goals to finish the project that was abandoned two years ago. The declining real estate market is the culprit for the red light in construction. Ayoub Sesar is the designer of Ocean Village and had intended to sell the units after completion. However, 33 condo units and 11,000 square feet of retail were left unused and empty. The property selling price could not match its original building price of $22 million, and MG Property Group looks towards their goals of renting the property and selling units once the values go up. Renting starts this week, and the prices go for a monthly price of $2.3 to $2.6 thousand and with a higher estimate on penthouse suites.
Read the rest of the story here
When you get two creative forces together, it’s not uncommon to have a fireworks display of ideas light up a room. At least it’s a pretty common occurrence for the husband-and-wife architectural team of Jim and Karen LeCron of Arr/LeCron Architects, Inc. in Santa Barbara, who share a passion for creating dreamy getaways from California to Hawaii.
“We have a vacation home on Lake Tahoe, and we have friends and family come there,” Jim says. “So we thought how much fun it would be to build a vacation home in Hawaii, but with a resort-theme twist.” In fact, while attending the University of California at Berkeley, Karen wrote her thesis on resort design at Lake Tahoe’s Squaw Valley Ski Resort and learned first-hand from countless interviews what it is that people look for in a destination resort.
And just as you’d find at a resort, the home boasts individual suites. These have been designed with pocket doors that disappear when fully opened, providing seamless transition to outside rooms, and each suite has its own wet bar, stunning designer bathroom, flat-screen television, and endless water views. There is a common area for entering and exiting, which functions much like a hotel lobby where you can make plans to meet poolside or at the bar (adjacent to the kitchen) and be on your way. The kitchen is open, informal, and welcoming. Whether the homeowner is cooking for family or guests or if a guest chef comes in for a demo and dinner party, the kitchen is a place laid out for socializing.
The overall feeling here is contemporary and clean with lots of glass, native Kapalua blue rock that was quarried out of the site, and travertine stone, which moves from inside to outside with no demarcation. Brazilian cherry and Sappelli woods add warm accents. As you move throughout the house, you will find a palette comprised of ocean colors, whether it be walls, fabric stone, or tile. It is also deemed a “smart house,” as all mechanics and lighting can be controlled from certain locations within the house, as well as remotely by computer. And there are some other interesting, practical touches, like the automated translucent blinds that disappear into the ceiling once the hot daytime sun sets.
Rows of palm trees shelter the 400-foot-wide, 200-footlong parcel of land from the road, and a carpet of emerald green lawn rolls to the ocean’s edge. The property is being sold furnished, and bathrooms come with bathrobes, shampoo, massage oil, and all the necessities to start a vacation. $14,900,000, Mary Anne Fitch, Maui Estates International, 808-250-1583, 
The colony of beach homes on Sand Point Road adorns a splendid stretch of coastline between the Pacific Ocean and the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Preserve. Sparkling brightly among the strans of gems is the distinctive estate at 591 Sand Point Road. Designed by Andy Neumann and completed for the current owners in 2003, the main house and detached guest house have a total of five bedrooms, five full bathrooms and two half baths. The contemporary Cape Cod design features an exterior of bleached cedar shingles interplaying with white doors, trim and trellises. The interiors are defined by refined elegance, spacious volumes, generous fenestration and ease of circulation; these elements combine to create the ideal playground for light and views. Paned windows and doors open to extensive, exotic harwood decking. The overall architecural effect is one of subdued quiescence, a poignant counterpoint to the shifting energies of the ocean, which shares 190′ of frontage with the property.
Take a deep breath as you soak in views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway at this sprawling 19,000-squarefoot estate on 2.8 acres. With seven bedrooms, seven full and three half bathrooms, three elevators, and a nine-bay subterranean garage, this residence was designed by internationally renowned Legoretta + Legoretta, with interiors by Chicago-based Gregga Jordan Smieszny. The property features an infinity pool, which spills into a lap lane, culminating in an open-air pavilion with summer kitchen and lower-level bedroom suite. There is also a deepwater dock on the property with a full-service yacht dock nearby.
A truly magnificent estate commanding incomparable water views, this uniquely situated masterpiece rests on approximately 340 feet of water frontage (as per plat). All real estate is unique, but this estate is a metaphor for unique. Port Royal Club membership eligibility.
Located north of Palm Beach in the private community of Sailfish Point on Hutchinson Island, this 12,000-square-foot estate offers five bedrooms and five full and two half bathrooms on an acre of land with over 169 feet of beach frontage. Balustrade balconies extend 100 feet along the ocean and a 75-foot balcony overlooks the Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course. The home features a Waterford crystal chandelier in the formal dining room, a fully-restored 100-year-old Steinway grand piano with player system in the Grand Salon, and an eclectic variety of fine European antiques. Also included is a computer-driven package of electronics that enables complete control over the internal environment from anywhere in the world.
This East Beach oceanfront home features over 5,000 square feet of living space (six bedrooms, eight full and one half bathrooms, and a separate guest house) with incredible views and privacy thanks to a split floor plan in addition to carefully placed landscaping. Details include an integrated lighting management system, remote controlled infinity edge self-cleaning heated pool with spa and mister cooled bluestone pool deck, windows rated to 150 mph wind tolerance, a butler’s pantry, and an elevator.
Situated on two acres of one of Florida’s most sought-after island residences, this 16,000-square-foot home features 200 feet of bay frontage on one side and the 10th fairway at Indian Creek Golf and Country Club on the other. With seven bedrooms, ten full and two half bathrooms, this tropical escape built in 2000 offers a theater, library, formal living and dining room, French country kitchen, an outdoor summer kitchen, a seven-car garage, his-and-hers bath, and an infinity pool.
Located on the southern coast of Georgia, Sea Island is ranked number one in Golf Digest’s “75 Best Golf Resorts in North America.” This home, which was renovated in 1999 by famed Atlanta decorator and designer Kathy Guyton, features six bedrooms, eight full bathrooms, and a pool all on 6,500 square feet with the Atlantic Ocean and a quiet beach right out the back door.
Situated on 2.3 acres with almost 300 feet of ocean frontage, this restored and expanded modern stucco Norman Jaffe design features a stone, steel, and concrete structure. With seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, an elevated dining area, stone patios, a heated spa pool, and tennis court, this Hamptons retreat is the ideal spot for family gatherings and large social functions, not to mention a little down time to meander along the dunes.
Set in one of the most desirable locations in the Hamptons, this shingle-style home sits on two acres with 222 feet of ocean frontage. The house includes nine bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a double-height great room, formal dining room, solarium, and a third-floor master suite, all with fireplaces. A covered deck, granite pool, and a sunken Har-Tru tennis court are just some of the amenities.
Majestically presiding over Newport’s famed Cliff Walk, a three-mile scenic path along the coast, and the Atlantic Ocean itself, the Hopedene estate is a luxurious home of unmatched refinement and comfort. Built in 1899, this Colonial revival–style residence has been renovated, marrying historic gentility with modern amenities, including 15 bedrooms and 11 full and two half bathrooms. Hopedene’s six manicured, oceanfront acres surround the main house, expansive balustrade-bordered terraces, a carriage house with guest quarters, an ocean-facing pool and spa, tennis courts, gated service entrance, and a heliport.
Recognized in 2008 with the Rhode Island Historic Preservation and Heritage Commission Award, this spectacular granite and brownstone oceanfront mansion was initially built in 1891 for yachtsman and defender of the America’s Cup, J.R. Busk. A long, winding driveway leads to the residence, which rests atop a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Intricate woodwork is found throughout, along with arches, turrets, curved windows, and 15 fireplaces. The home includes eight bedrooms, 13 full and four half bathrooms, and additional quarters for staff. Among the highlights are a grand 1,800-square-foot master suite with his-and-hers marble baths and an adjoining study, with mahogany built-ins and a wet bar. The living room features a cathedral ceiling, a baronial fireplace, an orchestra balcony, and three sets of French doors opening to an 80-foot ocean front porch. Additional amenities include a multi-level home theater, a billiard room, a wine cellar, a pair of family rooms, and a gourmet kitchen with a butler’s pantry.
Sited on eleven acres overlooking North Bay, this new 12,000-square-foot waterfront estate features a deep water dock and spectacular views out to Grand Island and the North Bay. The home features a first-floor master suite with deluxe walk-in closet and master bath, gourmet kitchen, and a library walled in cherry. With seven bedrooms, nine full and three half bathrooms, as well as a lower level with a sauna and steam room, provisions for a wine cellar, home theater, and game and exercise rooms, this home makes for the ideal Cape Cod summer getaway.
This thoughtfully designed and beautifully crafted home blends contemporary lines with a traditional Nantucket aesthetic. Details like recycled volcanic stone flooring, 150-year-old reclaimed barn beams, mushroom wood, and custom stone masonry contribute to the character of this unique property. Located on Eel Point Road with private access to Madaket Harbor, two boat moorings, and a front-row seat for the island’s best sunsets, the four-bedroom main house and two-bedroom guest house spread across 2.3 acres of land will comfortably accommodate plenty of summer guests.
Located in Montecito’s prime gated oceanfront enclave, this contemporary villa on 8,400 square feet overlooks a sandy cove with panoramic ocean views. Completed in 1995 with architectural influences from the Greek Isles, North Africa, and the Mediterranean, the home offers a spacious living room, large family room, and expansive chef’s kitchen, all with ocean views, plus an office/library, two large bedroom suite and an inner sun-filled courtyard with a tiled fountain. The three-level terrace features a blue-tiled pool and spa, al fresco living room, and a private stair descent to the beach.
Tucked into the lush tropical forest and white sand beaches of Kauai’s Papa’a Bay on 174 acres, represents old Hawaii at its finest. Surrounded by ocean views, a meandering tropical stream, a spring-fed pool, and a silvery waterfall, this gated compound features a 15,000-square-foot classic Hawaiian-style main home with two 4,000-square-foot guest bungalows The main home has six bedrooms and eight bathrooms with his-and-hers private living rooms. A gourmet kitchen and lanais with generous ocean views allow for easy island living. A pool, cabana, yoga studio, three-bedroom caretaker’s home, stables, fenced corrals and large workshop add to this island estate. In addition, there are two large generator systems and two potable wells.
This masterpiece was designed for actor Richard Chamberlain and features only the finest materials and architectural design elements. Four bedrooms, three full and one half bathrooms, and a separate “ohana” cottage for guests or family (which features two bedrooms and two bathrooms) are spread out over a half acre of land overlooking Maui’s Keawakapu Beach and close to four world-class golf courses. You can expect beautiful sunsets each evening over the distant islands. This private and secured estate is also minutes away from the Grand Wailea Resort, restaurants, and designer shops.