Carlton Woods Residence on 1.5-Acre Lot Selling Without Reserve

An impressive residence in the upscale Carlton Woodscommunity within The Woodlands, TX has been scheduled for sale via luxury auction^® on August 18^th. Recently asking $6.75 million, the property is now being auctioned without reserve, meaning that the highest bidder will become the new homeowner regardless of the bid amount. Luxury real estate auction house Platinum Luxury Auctions, which previously produced the Woodlands’ record sale of $7.1 million in 2016, is working in cooperation with veteran listing agent and top-producer Beth Ferester of Beth Ferester and Company for the transaction.

The homeowners relied heavily on Ferester’s input when electing to auction the home. According to Ferester, Platinum’s intensive deal management and focused service model were decisive factors in selecting the Miami-based firm. “Like Platinum, it is quality rather than quantity that is the base of our business model, and it has worked well for us over the past 36 years,” she stated.

“Beth is a proven force in the luxury real estate industry, and has probably already forgotten more about selling Texas property than most of us will ever learn,” noted Trayor Lesnock, Platinum’s president and founder. “We’re excited to work together on a home that is sure to impress even the most particular luxury homebuyer.”

According to Lesnock, the hardly two-year-old residence is fit for a showroom. “What is perhaps most impressive is that the home is in ‘camera-ready’ condition even while serving as a primary residence for a growing family,” he added. “It’s an excellent sign of pride of ownership.”

The home was designed by Sullivan, Henry, Oggero & Associates and newly completed in 2016 by Matt Powers Custom Homes. Built in accord with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, it offers 11,150 interior square feet throughout two living levels, with 5 bedrooms, 8 full and 2 half baths. A “bonus” room can be used as a sixth bedroom.

All bedrooms are quite spacious and include en-suite baths. Custom built-ins in the children’s rooms offer ample work-study and storage space. A sumptuous master suite on the upper level features a private vestibule entrance and his-and-hers bathrooms, while a “junior master” suite on the entry level is perfect for guests or live-in staff.

Additional interior features include an elevator, grand salon, gourmet kitchen with oversized island, upper and lower entertainment lounges, and a gentlemen’s “sports cave” offering 3 wall-mounted televisions for the avid sports enthusiast. Fine finishes are located throughout the residence, and include bespoke molding, hand-beveled and scraped French oak floors, and wood-paneled walls.

Outdoor amenities are also sure to impress. The neatly manicured grounds were created with the help of Moss Landscaping, and include an English-style garden, firepit with seating area, and an in-ground trampoline offering fun for all ages.

The home’s outdoor living area – located just off the lower-level family room and entertainment area – features a covered lounge with a fireplace, television, built-in audio/video system, and an adjacent summer kitchen with a Wolf grill. A custom pool and spa surrounded by a paved pool deck are just steps away from the lounge.

Carlton Woods requires that property previews are conducted by appointment. Interested parties may contact Platinum to schedule their visits between the hours of 12pm and 5pm CT, each Friday through Sunday until the auction date. Visit WoodlandsLuxuryAuction.com, or contact Platinum’s project manager, Brian Raymond, at 800.983.7817 for additional information.

Ridgefield, CT Property Boasts Extensive Home Automation Features

On July 28^th, a luxury home in Ridgefield, CT with a home automation system that has garnered exposure in media outlets such as Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Archi-TECH Residential and Tech Home Builder, will be sold at a live auction. Although once asking $4 million, the residence will now be sold without reserve, meaning the highest bidder will prevail, regardless of the high bid amount. The property owner, John Russell Patrick, retained Miami-based auction firm Platinum Luxury Auctions to handle the sale. Platinum is working in tandem with the property’s listing agent, Harry “Chip” Neumann, Jr. of Neumann Real Estate, for the transaction.

Mr. Patrick, who is a former vice president of IBM and a founding sponsor of the World Wide Web Consortium at MIT in 1994, was involved in the development and growth of the Internet. His tech background, combined with the fact that he also authored a book entitled, Home Attitude: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Home Smart, makes it no surprise that Mr. Patrick developed a very tech-centric, automated residence for his family.

“Whether you want to change the temperature, adjust lighting, open the garage door, or even create custom responses to incoming visitors or a change in weather, you can do it with the simple press of a touchscreen,” stated David Ashcroft, Platinum’s director of business development.

A series of one-touch, wall-mounted digital panels located throughout the home provide control over the automation system. In addition, sensors throughout the property are set to trigger customized commands in the event of snow, rain or the arrival of guests. A 25-kW generator and battery backups assure power is uninterrupted, even in inclement weather.

Despite all of its tech features, the property does not present itself as a “techie” home, and instead offers an elegant, traditional design with an ambiance of relaxed luxury. Situated on 2.7 manicured acres, the residence is approx. 6,800 sf, with 5 bedrooms, 3 full and 2 half baths.

Built in 2002, construction emphasized the use of reliable, low-maintenance materials. The home’s siding, shingles, and exterior trim are constructed of components that are especially impervious to weather.

Interiors feature handsome wood molding and hardwood floors. A large, mahogany-paneled office – designed by a leading architect in workplace planning – maximizes productivity. There is also, 1,700 sf of “bonus space” ready for custom completion, as well as an attic offering another 1,267 sf of flexible space.

An attached, 5-car garage is complimented by a detached, 2-car garage that includes a space ideal for use as a studio, office or “man-cave.”

The home’s grounds and outdoor living areas include a 60-ft pond, in-ground spa with rock waterfall, multiple gardens and a gazebo (plans are available for an in-ground swimming pool). Nearly 6,000 sf of paved driveway and 3,000 sf of stone terraces and walls serve to enhance the beauty of the landscaping.

Open house previews of the property are available between the hours of 12 and 5pm ET daily, through Friday, July 27^th. For information on property previews, bidder registration or other auction procedures, interested parties may visit ConnecticutLuxuryAuction.com, or contact Platinum’s project manager, Walter Cerini, at 800.745.8323.

Former IBM Vice President John Patrick’s Whipstick Road home in Ridgefield will be auctioned off by Platinum Luxury Auctions on July 28. Designed by MacMillan Architects in collaboration with Phoenix Audio Video of Fairfield, the “smart house” features fully-integrated home automation.

Check out the full Habitat article by Anna Quinn here.

John Russell Patrick’s fully automated home, once listed for $4 million, will go under the hammer, without reserve, on July 28

Following the successful sale of a 10-acre country home in Redding, CT, Miami-based Platinum Luxury Auctions has announced another, upcoming real estate auction in the town of Ridgefield. On June 29, 2018, a stately suburban residence that once asked as much as $2.85 million will be sold at a live auction to the highest bidder who meets or exceeds the auction’s reserve price of $1.1 million. Platinum is conducting the sale in partnership with the Al Filippone Associates team at William Raveis Real Estate, represented by listing agent Andrew Whiteley. Platinum and Whitely also collaborated for the sale of the Redding property on June 9^th.

The English-style, stone manor in Ridgefield, CT is set on 3.6 acres and offers 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths in nearly 6,000 interior square feet. Built in 1911 and fully renovated in 2005, the residence boasts an impressive provenance. It was originally designed for Arthur C. Fraser (a prominent New York patent attorney) by Grosvenor Atterbury, a Yale-educated architect who specialized in weekend homes for the wealthy and had a collection of high-profile clients that included the Rockefellers.

In addition to the residential structure, the property’s grounds also have famous beginnings: the gardens were designed by Warren Manning, a well-known landscaper famous for his contributions to the 1893 Chicago World Fair and his work on the Biltmore Estate. Manning gave the gardens an 18th-century, “English romantic” style which earned them a feature in a Garden Club of America tour in 1927.

Today, the home’s outdoor living areas include a “sunken garden” outdoor lounge with a koi pond, surrounded by extensive gardens and various plantings. The gardens’ blend of contemporary designs with the preservation of some of Manning’s original “wild garden” plantings earned them a place in the Garden Club of America Collection at the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Gardens (AAG) in the fall of 2017.

“We’re looking forward to extending our series of successful auction sales in Connecticut with this impressive home,” noted David Ashcroft, Platinum’s director of business development. “It offers such incredible value, some of our own team members have even remarked they might place a bid.”

Platinum, a firm that specializes in the non-distressed auction sale of multimillion-dollar homes on behalf of their owners throughout the country, has been conducting more business in the state during the past few years, and has experienced an uptick in inquiries from Connecticut homeowners, according to Trayor Lesnock, its president and founder. “Given the way the economic landscape and the luxury residential markets have changed in Connecticut, we’re pleased to be seeing 5, 6 and 7-bidder audiences at our auctions. We know there are many frustrated sellers here looking for a sale, quite a few of whom seem to own multiple properties in Connecticut. They’re ready to do something better with their capital than have it languish in a residential home.”

Prominent features of the Ridgefield property include a cozy, gourmet kitchen with commercial-grade appliances and wood-burning fireplace, formal living and dining rooms, indoor conservatory, game room, and a large master suite with beautiful views of the surrounding landscapes. Historic elements such as original flooring and wood-burning fireplaces are balanced with modern features like Swarovski doorknobs and a whole-house water purification system.

Open house previews of the property are being held from 12-4pm daily through Thursday, June 28^th. For information on property previews, bidder registration or other auction procedures, interested parties may visit CTLuxuryAuction.com, or contact Platinum’s project manager, Tawny Wolf, at 800.785.3119.

Platinum Luxury Auctions Managing Sale of 32-Acre Estate on Oregon’s Willamette River

When Hollywood Video founder Mark Wattles purchased 32 acres on Oregon’s Willamette River in 1994, the entrepreneur had a vision to create a dream estate on the sprawling parcel.  Although he began to execute that vision – obtaining permits and beginning construction on a 49,000-square-foot mansion with an indoor basketball court and dual automotive galleries – his plans eventually changed, and construction was halted almost 20 years ago, prior to completion.

Fast forward to this Thursday evening at 7pm PT, wherein the property will be sold at a live auction without reserve – meaning the highest bidder prevails regardless of the price – to find its new owner. Wattles originally purchased the land for $1.25 million and stated he has invested more than $12 million into the project to date. “I don’t owe anything on it, so I could have sat on it for another 20 years…but it’s in my interest to auction it to have the widest audience,” Wattles said.

To conduct the auction, Wattles retained veteran real estate auction house Platinum Luxury Auctions. The Miami-based firm specializes in multimillion-dollar real estate auctions on behalf of clients who – like the former movie rental mogul – are not in distress, but rather elect to sell their property in a way they deem to be more expeditious and effective as compared to traditional sales methods, especially when the given property is unique or difficult to value.

“Wealthy sellers like Mr. Wattles are not an exception to our luxury auction^® process, but are instead the norm,” stated Trayor Lesnock, Platinum’s founder and president. “That said, what is unique in this case is that he chose to enter the marketplace with an auction, as opposed to many other sellers who waste valuable time – often many years – failing to sell their property traditionally before electing our services. Mark and his listing agents are savvy enough to realize that his special property is best suited for a special sales approach.”

Lesnock and his team are offering the property in cooperation with listing brokerage Luxe Platinum Properties, an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate based in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Luxe is represented in the transaction by its CEO, Terry Sprague and co-listing agent Kendra Ratcliff.

The 32-acre property consists of a peninsular (or “point”) lot with approximately 2,700 linear feet of frontage on the Willamette River. It sits at the end of a quiet road in rural-suburban West Linn, located about 40 mins from the heart of downtown Portland.

While the dream home Wattles planned for the site was never completed, the existing framework is in impressive condition. “It looks like a project that was started only 2-3 years ago. It’s unbelievable how well maintained it is,” Lesnock noted.

Built by Tom Avgerakis, one of the Pacific Northwest’s most sought-after luxury homebuilders, the structure boasts “commercial-grade” construction, with extensive use of steel beams, concrete and treated wood. Original build plans envisioned a sprawling, tri-level estate with +/- 49,000 sf of gross constructed area. Planned features included an indoor racquetball/squash court, indoor basketball court, elevator, and a sprawling master suite with a 1,200-sf closet and private theater. The home’s lower level was designed to include two automotive galleries, each with room for up to 20 vehicles (which is in addition to the 8-car garage adjacent to the main entry).

Thanks to an active building permit, which was secured prior to the current land-use regulations that increased the setbacks for waterfront properties, the homesite offers 270-degree river views that cannot be reproduced. The property also enjoys an agricultural tax abatement that substantially reduces its tax bill.

Final previews of the property will be held from 12-4pm PT daily, through Wednesday, June 13^th. For information on property previews, bidder registration or other auction procedures, interested parties may visit OregonLuxuryAuction.com, or contact Platinum’s project manager for the sale at 800.484.2513.

About Platinum Luxury Auctions
Platinum Luxury Auctions is responsible for developing the luxury auction^® model for high-priced real estate auctions, and owns the trademark rights to the term “luxury auction.” The firm specializes in the non-distressed sale of multimillion-dollar properties within and beyond the United States. Platinum’s team has closed more than $757 million in luxury real estate auction sales to date, while consulting on more than $2.25 billion in additional luxury properties worldwide.

On June 9^th, a luxurious estate situated on 10-acres in rural Connecticutthat once asked more than $10 million will now be sold at luxury auction^® to the highest bidder. The property, located in the town of Redding, CT and given the name Shelterfields by its owners, had previously been listed for $10.25 million, but is now slated for sale at auction without reserve, meaning the highest bid – regardless of the bid amount – will prevail. Veteran luxury real estate auction firm Platinum Luxury Auctions was hired by the property owner to conduct the non-distressed auction sale, in cooperation with listing brokerage William Raveis Real Estate. Listing agent Andrew Whiteley of the Al Filippone Associates team is representing Raveis for the sale.

“After successfully selling a neighboring Redding estate in 2017, we’re excited to be working with Andrew and the Filippone and Raveis teams on another beautiful country home in rural Connecticut,” stated David Ashcroft, Platinum’s director of business development. “The pedigree of this property is extremely impressive, and any value-driven buyer looking for a quiet place for his family or a weekend retreat from the city will not want to miss the incredible value opportunity presented by this auction.”

The original footprint of the residence is based upon a carriage house that was built in 1907. Following extensive renovations and additions, the property has been transformed into a luxurious estate, inspired by the homes of the English countryside. The property owners incorporated remnants of the original structure in the renovations, as evidenced by beautiful, exposed beams located throughout, which offer a touch of historical charm to the home’s contemporary elegance.

The two-story residence offers more than 8,500 sf of living space, with 6 bedrooms, 6 full and three half baths. A formal foyer, gourmet kitchen with professional-grade appliances, 2 en-suite bedrooms, a large family room, and a wine cellar with storage for more than 1,000 bottles are featured on the main living level.

A massive, 27-ft by 43-ft great room is connected to the main living areas by a short hallway, and features high-gloss wood floors, exposed wood beams, a powder room and a private balcony – perfect for a music room, billiards room or even a “man-cave.”

The upper level offers 4 bedrooms and multiple entertaining areas. A sumptuous master suite with private balcony, walk-in closets, and a large master bath with soaking tub and separate shower is a perfect couple’s retreat. An adjacent office and entertainment room offer space for work and play, while a sitting room with fireplace provides a private sanctuary for relaxation.

Outdoor living areas include patios both covered and uncovered, which offer expansive views of the rolling countryside. Grounds feature a tennis court, greenhouse, fire pit and private pond. Additionally, a Gunite pool surrounded by stone walls and carefully pruned trees offers a pool house with changing room. Views of the Aspetuck River and surrounding lands that have been placed into a conservation easement add to the tranquility of the estate.

Final previews of the property will be held from 12-5pm daily through Friday, June 8^th. For information on property previews, bidder registration or other auction procedures, interested parties may visit ConnecticutLuxuryAuction.com, or contact Platinum’s project manager for the sale at 800.935.1168.