Inside A Real-Life Spy Mansion

The Southfork Ranch In Dallas, Texas

Larry Hagman Death Sparks Interest In Southfork Ranch -- Examiner

Tourists flocked to Southfork Ranch in Dallas, Texas on Saturday Nov. 24 after news broke that Larry Hagman, the actor that played the famous television character J.R. Ewing on the iconic 1980s hit show "Dallas", died the day before. His popularity on the 1980s hit television series “Dallas” made the Texas town world-famous, but where was the recently deceased actor really from? More importantly, where was he living in the months and weeks before his death? Not in Hollywood, surprisingly enough. He died in the oil town that he seemed to love best -- but not at Southfork.

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Editor: A longer video tour of the Southfork Ranch is below.

Lake Winnipesaukee Mansion For Sale

Sprawling: The lavish eight-bedroom lakeside mansion in New Hampshire, pictured, is up for sale

Fit For A President? Enormous 'Secret Service Certified' Mansion That Former French Leader Nicolas Sarkozy Vacationed In Goes On Sale For $13.6Million -- Daily Mail

A lavish eight-bedroom mansion in New Hampshire, where former French President Nicolas Sarkozy spent three weeks of his summer, is up for sale - and the price tag is certainly presidential. The sprawling shingle-style residence on Lake Winnipesaukee boasts of being 'Secret Service certified' and could be yours for a cool $13.6 million. To rent, the 17,000-square-foot home in Wolfeboro costs a whopping $30,000 a week, rendering Sarkozy's glamourous 2007 vacation almost as expensive as his total annual pay packet.

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My Comment: A perfect home to have in the country.

Miami Is Now The 'Russian Riviera'

Photo Source: The Jills

Why Miami Is Becoming The 'Russian Riviera' -- CNBC

On a recent afternoon, Miami real-estate agent Jill Eber is taking a Russian millionaire on a mansion-shopping trip. "This is the Versace Room," Eber says, walking into a vast living room of blue velvet sofas and gold French Imperial lamps. "It really makes a statement." The mansion, "Castello del Sole," sits on an exclusive island on Miami Beach and has eight bedrooms, nine baths and a three-story foyer with fresco ceilings. The grounds include two yacht docks, a tennis court, guest villas, a five-car garage and a lagoon-style pool with over 100,000 gallons of water. The asking price: $37 million. "I like it," says the Russian buyer, sliding on her Gucci shades as she admires the water views. "It's a maybe."

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My Comment: Miami is a very nice place to live .... if you have the money to spend.

Houseboats For The Rich

Prime location: Le Sorelle is currently being moored at Canary Wharf in London

Luxury Houseboat With Six Bedrooms, Two Kitchens And Its Own GARDEN Hidden Under A Retractable Roof Goes On Sale For £1.7m -- Daily Mail

A six bedroom, six bathroom luxury houseboat has gone on the market - and features its own incredible garden that fits under a retractable roof. The £1.69 million boat has an enormous 1,302 square foot of perfectly manicured Art Deco-style garden space that can be hidden during bad weather. The 'unique' boat, moored in Canary Wharf, also comes with further outside decking. With space at such a premium in central London, waterside specialists Riverhomes said Le Sorelle, which is moored in South Quay, Canary Wharf, is the 'best boat' they have seen in the capital. The boat two kitchens, a bar, a wheelhouse, three reception rooms and two kitchens.

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My Comment: This is a houseboat with class.

Piers Morgan In Monaco

The Trend Of Building Glass Houses

Neighborhood Watch -- Wall Street Journal

A growing number of city dwellers are building glass houses—just a stone's throw from the street. Such homes allow in lots of light, but also curious looks from passersby; beware neighbors brandishing telescopes.

Every so often, Grant Risdon looks out his living room window and sees a stranger staring up at him, waving. Mr. Risdon isn't a celebrity—he is a consultant at a biotechnology company. But his house has a very public persona: Its second floor is almost entirely encased in glass, making it look like a transparent box floating above the more traditional homes in a densely populated Seattle neighborhood.

Mr. Risdon says he wanted to feel connected to the outside but didn't want to leave the city. He says he and his wife don't use blinds—even at night. "I don't feel exposed. I don't worry about it. We have nothing to hide," Mr. Risdon says.

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 My Comment: If privacy is not your thing .... I guess this is for you.

Tamara's Versailles In Bel Air

A moving story: Tamara' relocation to the Fleur de Lys mansion will be chronicled on an American reality TV show

Tamara's Versailles: A 50-Seat Cinema, A Gilded Ballroom And 15 Bathrooms... F1 Heiress's £78m Palace To Keep Up With Her Sister -- Daily Mail

* Fleur de Lys estate also features marble walls and gold-embossed leather
* Comes months after sister Petra bought house named most expensive in US
* Eight-part reality TV series will chart Tamara's move to the United States

When it comes to sibling rivalry, no one is quite so extravagantly competitive as the Ecclestone sisters. Now their oneupmanship has spread to the most exclusive tier of the American property market. For just a few months after Petra bought a mansion once named as the most expensive home in the States, Tamara is set to move into the house ranked No 2 – just down the road. The older daughter of Formula  1 tycoon Bernie Ecclestone is eyeing up the lavish Fleur de Lys estate to add to her property portfolio, undeterred by its £78 million asking price. The five-acre estate in the Holmby Hills in Bel Air, Los Angeles, was modelled on Louis XIV’s Palace of Versailles – and certainly contains all the opulent luxuries a modern-day princess could demand.

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My Comment: And she is only 28 years old.