Another 9-Figure Sale Price

First there was Prince Bandar's house in Aspen for $135-million. Then there was Donald Trump's little getaway in Palm Beach for $125-million. Now comes word of a third unbelievably pricey "vacation" home for sale -- Tommy Hilfiger's "Tranquility" on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, on the market for $100-million. A publicist for the broker, Shari Chase of Chase International, says the amenities include a cigar lounge (that's a first for me -- anyone ever hear of a cigar lounge in a private house?) and 210 "secluded" acres. The estate's main residence is 20,000 square feet. Want a peek? Call Shari at 775 588-6130.

Bias in Second Home Sales?

The Wall Street Journal recently ran a disturbing article about minority second-home buyers who were either blackballed or otherwise discriminated against when they tried to buy a vacation home. Where? In "Palm Beach County, Fla., there were 144 race-based housing complaints made to the local chapter of the nonprofit National Fair Housing Alliance in 2005, a 30 percent increase over the previous year, with many of them being filed by first-time second-home buyers. Bias claims are also up in Naples, Fla., and San Diego County, according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development." The article included a tale of an African-American doctor who had a deal on a house in Sedona, AZ that was suddenly cancelled. Do you know of a bias case? Let me know.

Chic Sheikh: Aspen Palace for Sale

For a sum that equals the GNP of a small country, you can spend weekends trying out one of the 16 bathrooms in an Aspen suburban cabin. As the Wall Street Journal reports today, "Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the former Saudi Arabian ambassador to the U.S., listed his Aspen-area mansion for $135 million. The price is thought to be the highest ever for a single-family home in the U.S., surpassing the $125 million asking price for an oceanfront mansion in Palm Beach, Fla. Built in 1990, the prince's 95-acre estate includes a main residence that measures 56,000 square feet with 15 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, an indoor swimming pool, an elevator and dumbwaiters." For those who know Aspen, you also probably know that this bulbous retreat on the mesa overlooking the Aspen Airport has been the target of endless jokes. Luxury B&B, anyone?