Luxury Portfolio member Griffith, Grant & Lackie Realtors recently closed on the sale of an elegant country home in Lake Forest, Illinois to Tom and Cara Waddle. Tom Waddle is a former Chicago Bear wide receiver and is currently a host on Fox Chicago, ESPN Radio 1000 AM and other media in the city. Brad Andersen, Managing Broker of Griffith, Grant & Lackie, co-listed the property with Lisa Trace.

The $3.25 million dollar sale was recently featured in Chicago Magazine and is the tenth closing in Lake Forest in the past 12 months of $3 million or above. Griffith, Grant & Lackie Realtors was involved in 70% of these sales. Griffith, Grant & Lackie also has 6 of the top ten agents in Lake Forest in its office. The elite group includes: Marina Vernon, Andy Mrowiec, Nancy Adelman, Elizabeth Weineke, Lisa Trace and Julie Morse.

An amazing wine country luxury estate located in picturesque Napa, California was recently added to Luxury Portfolio. The property boasts magnificent views of Napa Valley, and its nearly 300 acres is comprised of beautiful ponds and award-winning gardens in addition to gorgeous vineyards. There are 12.5 acres of cabernet and merlot grapes and 30 more prime acres awaiting new planting.

The estate home itself is also expansive, at 6,800 square feet, and fits perfectly into the breathtaking surroundings. Luxury Portfolio member Alain Pinel Realtors is currently listing his extraordinary luxury property at US $19,900,000. See more photos and detail.

New listings added to LuxuryPortfolio.com in February offer varied choices including an historic Pennsylvania estate, Florida beachfront estates and a Napa estate with vineyards. Reported luxury sales for February ranged from a majestic Vancouver estate to Colorado ski homes and luxury properties in Spain and Switzerland. Check out the lists below for the top ten new listings and sales of the past month. Click on the listing information for more details and photos of these extraordinary luxury homes.

Luxury Portfolio member Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate (SSF) participated in 13 of the top 15 residential property transactions in the Vail Valley last year and holds nearly 80% market share of the over $5 million Vail Valley luxury market. In 2009, the top three transactions were each over $15 million and brokers on both sides of the three deals were SSF brokers. Read more.

One of those top deals – a remarkable Avon, Colorado home - was also featured in the most recent edition of the Luxury Portfolio magazine, which you can flip through here.

One of the most spectacular estates on the East Coast of the United States was added to Luxury Portfolio in late January. Known as Long Point, the estate is situated in a unique and prime location on a private peninsula surrounded by the Navesink River in Rumson Borough, New Jersey.

Behind the entry gates is a landscape created by Peter Cummin, who specializes in residential and estate gardens and has breathtaking work on display in 25 states and Canada. The shingle style residence at the center of the property was deigned by the acclaimed firm of Shope Reno Wharton, a member of the U.S Green Building Council, to take advantage of the extraordinary setting along the river.

Luxury Portfolio member Turpin Real Estate, Inc. is currently listing Long Point for $29,900,000. Discover more features and see more photos.

A stone mansion built in 1915 in Bedford Hills, New York has recently sold. The luxury colonial home was designed by Walter Cook, former President of the American Institute of Architects.

The former owner, from Bangor, Ireland, brought in 10 Irish workmen for a magnificent modern renovation that took only four months. New features include an expansive entertaining space and a state-of-the-art country kitchen. Though now thoroughly up to date, the home retains original period details.

The buyer of the home is a New York billionaire who rented the home for two months before purchasing it as a weekend house. Luxury Portfolio member Houlihan Lawrence last listed the property. See more photos and details.

2010 started off strong with several significant new luxury listings added to LuxuryPortfolio.com from members around the globe. Significant sales reported for January included several homes in the northeast United States as well as several ski properties. Check out the lists below for the top ten new listings and sales of the past month. Click on the listing information for more details and photos of these extraordinary luxury homes.

With 100 feet of sandy beach on Crystal Bay, a private pier and two buoys, the luxury estate known as Stone Gate is a true Tahoe retreat.

The perfect positioning on the lakefront is matched by the magnificence of the home itself. A stunning wood and stone exterior is an introduction to a wealth of fine finishes including Douglas fir beams, stone masonry, reclaimed hardwood, hand-crafted European ironworks and much more. Modern-day conveniences such as a Crestron home automation system blend with the architectural beauty.

Recently added to LuxuryPortfolio.com, Stone Gate is currently listed at $19,950,000 by Chase International.

See more photos and detail.

Ebby Halliday, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Luxury Portfolio member Ebby Halliday Realtors, made an amazing appearance on The Mike Huckabee show this past Saturday.

Ebby’s segment was the highest rated of Saturday’s show, but if you missed it you can watch the video below. You can also read more, including some great viewer feedback, on the Ebby Blog.

Featured in a previous post on the Luxury Portfolio blog, an innovative home in Boulder, Colorado has recently sold. Known as The Next West Home, the residence blends luxurious and sustainable living with features that include solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling, gray water and direct plumbing systems. One of the first LEED platinum certified, Net Zero Carbon residence in America, it marks exciting progress in luxury home construction.

Joel Ripmaster, President and Owner of Luxury Portfolio member Colorado Landmark, Realtors, successfully closed on the home. “With this house, we are really building for the future,” says Ripmaster. “The quality and workmanship, the ability for the house to take care of itself off the grid, appropriate size and livability, the Next West House is truly a look into the future. In 50-100 years, people will look back at this house as the beginning of a new age of building, and as evidence that our generation finally ‘got it’.”

See more photos and details of The Next West Home on Luxury Portfolio here.