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Can you afford the most expensive home for sale in America?


Can you afford the most expensive home for sale in America?

Live in, and never leave, this ‘inland megayacht’

There’s a new record-holder in US real estate. Image credit: Bruce Makowsky/BAM Luxury Development

A sprawling compound in Los Angeles came online Wednesday to earn the title of the most expensive house listed on the market in the US. The property, situated in the city’s swish Bel Air neighbourhood, has a currently unbeatable asking price of USD250 million.

It is not the biggest property, however. At 38,000 square feet, the property falls short of the previous record-breaker, the USD195-million mansion in Manalapan, Florida which boasts almost 85,000 square feet in living space.

What the property lacks in size, it makes up for in amenities and extra perks, ranging from rare cars and pricey artworks to oversize pools and television sets. The estate, crowned by a helipad, has 12 bedrooms, including 10 spacious guest suites; 21 bathrooms; three kitchens; six bars; a gym; two wine cellars; and a massage studio and spa. The outdoor entertainment deck alone spreads out for 17,000 square feet.

Many exterior walls consist of glass panels, which can be slid open to expand several rooms.

The dining room. Bruce Makowsky/BAM Luxury Development

The property has more in keeping with a megayacht than a mansion, according to developer BAM Luxury Development, which built the property over a four-year period with 250 workers. “Megayachts have gone from 150 feet to 300 feet or more and they can cost up to USD500 million,” BAM founder Bruce Makowsky told CNBC. “People spend two weeks a year on a yacht, but they live in a house. I wanted this to be the ultimate megayacht, but on land.”

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Among other superlatives, a lounge in the house comes with a 30-foot TV set, believed to be the largest in any residential property. That is to say nothing of the USD2-million Dolby Atmos home theatre, which boasts a 22-foot screen with 4k projector, plus 57 speakers and 16 subwoofers. To go with its James Bond theme, the cinema offers 40 reclining Italian-leather seats.

There is also a 12-foot TV screen that dramatically pops up, via a complex hydraulic system, above the infinity pool. Measuring 85 feet in length, the pool offers extensive vistas of downtown Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean. On the balcony of the master bedroom, residents can take in the panoramas from a swim-around infinity Jacuzzi pool.

The candy wall. Bruce Makowsky/BAM Luxury Development

The property value covers a USD30-million fleet of cars, one of them a highly coveted 1936 Mercedes 540 K Special Roadster. The vehicles are housed in an “auto gallery” instead of a garage.

On that note, the house comes with a turnkey museum, exhibiting 100 curated artworks which include a USD1-million art installation of a Leica camera.

In fact, the estate comes with seven full-time staff members, including a private chef and chauffeur. The selling price will count toward their payroll for at least two years.

“There is no way anyone could have a bad day in this house,” Makowsky promised. Otherwise, the game room has a candy wall, with columns upon columns of sweets to sweeten the day.

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Source: Property Report