Cele mai mari licitații de conac noi din America pentru 141 de milioane de dolari

A 105,000-square-foot Los Angeles mega-mansion that was listed for $295 million sold at a bankruptcy auction for $141 million, ending a 10-year-saga of soaring debt and failed dreams.

Licitația pentru proprietate, cunoscută sub numele de „The One”, s-a încheiat joi seară cu cea mai mare ofertă de 126 de milioane de dolari. Inclusiv prima a cumpărătorului, prețul final de vânzare va fi de 141 de milioane de dolari, potrivit Laura Brady, CEO al Concierge Auctions, care a licitat casa.

The price makes it the third most expensive home ever sold in Los Angeles, behind Marc Andreessen’s $177 million purchase last year of a Malibu compound and Jeff Bezos’ purchase of the former Jack Warner Estate in Beverly Hills for $165 million.

“The One” is also the most expensive home ever sold at auction in the U.S. and the world – far surpassing the $51 million price for a home auctioned last year in Beverly Park.

„A fost un proces de licitație foarte competitiv”, a spus Brady. „Am avut un domeniu puternic de ofertanți, cu ofertanți din mai multe țări.” Brady a refuzat să comenteze cumpărătorul, care este de așteptat să fie dezvăluit instanței de faliment în zilele următoare.

The sale brings to a close, at least for now, one of the most controversial high-end real-estate projects ever. It was built by Nile Niami, the charismatic and ambitious former Hollywood producer who turned to building some of the most lavish mansions in Beverly Hills and Bel Air to sell for profit. When he started “The One” more than a decade ago, Nile Niami, touted the property as his “life mission” and “the biggest, most expensive home in the urban world,” with an eventual asking price of $500 million.

Rising like a spaceship from the manicured hills of Bel Air, “The One” sits on 3.8 acres and features 21 bedrooms and 42 bathrooms. It has views of the Pacific Ocean, downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Mountains. It has seven water features, including a massive moat that runs around the property. It has a nightclub, a full-service beauty salon, a wellness spa, a home theater that seats 40, a bowling alley, a 10,000-bottle wine cellar, 30-car garage and a 400-foot private outdoor running track.

Yet as building costs soared during construction, so did the problems. Niami’s debt grew to more than $190 million. The property was placed into receivership last year and then went into bankruptcy. As part of a bankruptcy agreement, it was listed for $295 million and, if no buyer emerged, put up for auction.

Prețul de ciocan este cu aproximativ 60 de milioane de dolari mai mic decât datoria totală a casei, ceea ce înseamnă că mai mulți creditori pot ajunge să piardă bani pe casă. Cel mai mare creditor a fost magnatul de creditare subprime din Los Angeles, Don Hankey, care a împrumutat peste 125 de milioane de dolari proiectului. Oamenii familiarizați cu vânzarea au spus că Hankey, care și-ar fi putut folosi împrumutul pentru a „credita oferta”, nu a fost cumpărătorul final.

Whoever purchased “The One” will also have to contend with a thicket of potential improvement and legal issues. According to the receiver’s report and an engineering study, the house has cracks in and around many of the pools and stonework, as well as signs of mold. It has several outstanding building and occupancy permits, and a local homeowner’s association is challenging its construction.

Real-estate executives speculate that the buyer may be another developer who plans to improve and change the property, get the proper permits and eventually re-sell it.

Niami nu a putut fi contactată imediat pentru comentarii joi.