REAL ESTATE

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REAL ESTATE DEALS

Most years, the fall market traces a predictable course: a lazy, lethargic summer is followed by an intense blaze of activity, ending in a dark period when all business is put on hold for the holidays. At this writing, brokers in both Connecticut and Westchester report that while we're emerging from our summer-like lethargy, there has been no significant sales activity to date. Normally, they would weather these doldrums with confidence: This happens every year, after all. But after an especially slow summer, our sources sound a little less than sanguine. One potential bright spot: Rumor has it that the 23,000-square-foot Dunnellen Hall, the Greenwich estate of the late Leona Helmsley, may have an offer at $55 million, less than half of its original asking price of $125 million in 2008. This news follows confirmation that another long-time Greenwich listing has sold: actor Mel Gibson's 75-acre Tudor-style estate. According to Greenwich town records, this handsome backcountry retreat is in the hands of a buyer listed as Cosette Property LLC. Let's hope these deals—alleged and actual—are a sign of good things to come for the worthy listings featured here.

FIT FOR A KING (click photo for larger view)

Windsor Court Purchase, New York
$8,950,000
Windsor Court is a posh name to live up to, and this nearly 14,000-square-foot brick residence does not disappoint. For starters, the two-plus-acre grounds are fit for royalty—there's a lavish terrace with a Shoreline pool, a pool house, a full-sized outdoor kitchen and formal gardens with statuary and fountains. Inside are a main-floor master suite with a spa bathroom, a dining hall that seats 20 and a sunken living room with 12-foot ceilings. The good life continues downstairs with facilities to rival any country club: billiard room and fitness room, a hot tub, spa, steam shower and his-and-her dressing rooms, and a wine-tasting room and home theater. Billie Prizio of Houlihan-Lawrence in Rye, NY has the listing. (914) 967-7680, extension 342.

LIVING THE GOOD LIFE
We never tire of hearing about the awesome amenities homeowners indulge in: a wine-tasting room here, a tennis pavilion there. Here's a listing that's got all the bells and whistles imaginable, virtually a fully-equipped resort that someone gets to call home. Sited in the heart of Ridgefield, Connecticut, in the mansion district along Main Street, the circa-2000 Queen Anne Victorian includes a 24-seat theater, a formal pool with a fountain, a tennis/sport court and an English pub—along with 9,000-plus square feet of lovely interiors. It's yours for $4,395,000 and is listed with Chip Neumann of Neumann Real Estate in Ridgefield. (203) 438-0455