Villa Leopolda – the worlds most expensive villa!
The beautiful Côte d’Azur luxury home Villa Leopolda in France, is one of if not the most expensive estates in the world. The estate in all of its beauty was formally owned by Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates. The home has been owned by many other rich people or celebs which means the home has been passed down many times as well. When the home was at its top price, it was $750 million! The home was slowly brought down to $500 million still giving it the title of most expensive home in the world. But now, still up for sale, the price has reduced to only $102 million. However, one owner says that the home was really never up for sale.
The 29,000 sq. foot home includes 11 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms. But if you are the owner, you will not be spending much time inside. The estate is surrounded by luxurious and extremely cared for bushes, plants, and a pool. Outdoor staircases with rich balconies will take you right to the commodities. On the balconies, one can enjoy many fireplaces and a sauna.
The villa appeared in the news in the summer of 2008 with reports of the Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov having purchased the home at a price of approximately 500 million Euros ($736m / £397m).[However, the price reported at the occasion of a lawsuit in February 2010 was €370 million, which still would have made it probably the world's most expensive villa.
However, Prokhorov's spokesman denied that he was the purchaser, and said he refuses to do business in France until he receives an apology for being investigated in a prostitution probe.[
In February 2010, a Nice court decided that Prokhorov could not demand back the €39 million down payment made to Lily Safra in 2008 and had to pay an additional €1.5 million of interest. Lily Safra announced that she would donate the entire sum to a number of institutions focusing on medical research, patient care, education, and other important humanitarian causes around the world.
Luckily not all holiday villas are that expensive. Why not search Bargain Villas for your next cheap holiday villa in France.
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Where to buy your holiday home
The advantages to buying a holiday home are well documented, some purchase simply to have a home away from home, some see the possibility of making some adding money.
However I think the hardest decision is deciding where to purchase your home.
For Brits, Spain is the most popular choice, with 66% opting to buy a property there. The weather, the standard of life and the culture, makes Spain a very appealing place and therefore a good sound investment.
There are currently 3.3 million holiday homes in Spain and demand is rising by three percent year on year based on the last decade. Firstly, this means that there is always going to be a demand for people wanting to rent your property while you’re not there. Secondly, house prices are set to rise with so much demand meaning that when it comes to selling up you are bound to make a healthy profit.
Another healthy market is Florida, the sunshine state, home of Disney. Florida and mainly the Orlando area are popular all year round due to its great weather, superb entertainment and beautiful beaches. Obviously its biggest pull is Disney and the potential to rent out your property when you are not occupying it is very good. Buying when the dollar is weak is key to healthy margins; also remember that we offer you the advantage of advertising your holiday home for free. I would suggest though looking in to insuring against hurricane damage.
France is also very popular, it offers culture, weather and has a big market in the U.S. Portugal is quickly becoming popular due to its weather, great beaches plus at present prices are lower than Spain and Florida etc.
The best piece of advice I can give you is to choose a location you like, feel comfortable with and have at least visited a few times before.
My five rules for holiday home letting
•Choose a good location
•Two and three bedroom properties are better for families and groups of friends
•Keep the property well-maintained and attractive
•Look at hiring a letting agent. Management fees can range from 15-30%
•Keep the property fully insured