We have some very exciting news that we wanted to share with you…LuxeChatter® is going online. We understand that you receive a mass number of emails daily and hope this change will help lighten up your Inbox – while still giving you easy access to the latest luxury news.

LuxeChatter® helps you stay on top of the happenings in the luxury real estate world. We highlight global recent sales, interesting properties, and items that you can use as “cocktail chatter."

Instead of sending in a traditional monthly e-newsletter, we will be posting Chatter tidbits on our blog, under the LuxeChatter® category, on a weekly basis. You can sign up to have our blog posts automatically emailed you (the subscribe form is located on the bottom left side of the page). In addition, these informative, interesting and educational posts will appear on our Facebook fan page and Twitter page.

If you haven’t already, please make sure you are connected to us on at least one of these social media spots. This will ensure you on staying on top to the latest Luxury Portfolio news, real estate developments and marketing insights:

Find Us Here:
Subscribe to The Luxury Portfolio blog.
Become a fan on Facebook.
Follow us on Twitter.

If you have any questions, please contact communications@luxuryportfolio.com. We hope you as excited about this latest development as we are!

In the video below, Bill Raveis, President & CEO of Luxury Portfolio member William Raveis Real Estate, shares some insight on purchasing a home in a recession and compares the current marketplace with past declines.

Taken from the William Raveis blog, where several recent posts utilize video to great effect.

Luxury Portfolio member Halstead Property, LLC launched their Value Factor Program four months ago and it has been a huge success.

Similar to the Michael Saunders & Company Best Opportunities program focusing on the Sarasota, Florida market blogged about earlier this year, Halstead’s Value Factor puts a spotlight on properties that offer the best value in today’s New York City area market. Their definition of “value” considers many factors beyond price, including location, building, condition, and size of the property. To keep the program inventory fresh, properties remain in the Value Factor for only 45 days. The strategy has worked, as 49-percent of Value Factor properties have closed or are in contract.

There is no doubt today’s luxury home buyer is seeking value, and smartly implemented programs such as these aid greatly in that search. Luxury Portfolio has also made it easier for consumers to find value properties on LuxuryPortfolio.com with a new feature allowing them to search specifically for listings that have had price reductions. On the site, luxury home seekers are able to see the dollar amount and percentage change in price since a property was first listed. Search the current price reductions on Luxury Portfolio.

Read more about the Value Factor Program and see the current listings.

Frank Howard Allen Realtors, a Luxury Portfolio member serving California’s North Bay communities, has devised an interesting way to promote groups of fine listings on their Facebook page. Each week Frank Howard Allen presents a “trilogy” – three properties that tie into a specific theme. The most recent trilogy, posted yesterday and titled “Lodge Style,” displays three mountain-lodge inspired homes. Previous trilogies have included Vineyard Properties, Vintage Charmers and Innovative Designs. This is a great idea to attract a buyer looking for a particular type of property.

See the Frank Howard Allen Realtors Facebook page for more. You can also follow Luxury Portfolio for updates on Luxury Portfolio Fine Property Collection, luxury homes and luxury news.

Spreading over 25 acres in Hickory Creek, Texas, the estate known as Champ d’Or is the result of five years of detailed planning. Comprised of a 36,000 square foot mansion inspired by chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte near Paris, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis court, pool/tennis house, 15-car garage, two matching guardhouses and a 1.5 acre lake, the luxury estate is filled with an air of old world opulence while at the same time containing the most modern of amenities.

The breathtaking masterpiece is currently listed at $27,500,000 by Luxury Portfolio member Briggs Freeman Real Estate, who has created a new and gorgeous website that provides an in-depth trip into Champ d’Or. You can see numerous photos and find more details on the chateau (a ballroom with mirrors patterned after Versailles, veranda that seats 450 guests, bowling alley, theater, etc.), learn about the exquisite details (ornamental moldings, bronze sconces from Paris), and view opportunities allowed by the exceptional setting.

Discover more by taking the tour, which, of course, is also available in French.

Rather than quietly lowering the price of their Italian villa in Fort Myers, Florida, the owners of the waterfront luxury home wished to do something original.  Working with their listing agent at Luxury Portfolio member VIP Realty Group, Inc., they created a $1 million coupon good toward the purchase of the gated estate.

The strategy has worked, with the unique offer being featured in all forms of media.  Exposure reached across the country with coverage in The Los Angeles Times, several other national newspapers, and on national TV. In addition to the selection of local and national newspapers that have had the coupon available for clipping, you can also see and print the coupon online. 

The luxury home is currently listed at $6,994,000 (before application of the coupon). See the property details on Luxury Portfolio.