VL Hendrickson
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Articles by VL Hendrickson
Get Knotty: Luxury Wooden Yachts Are Sailing Toward Sustainability
With summer in full swing, many sun and water lovers are dreaming of ditching the daily grind for the open seas. But even as they ready themselves for adventure, sustainability is still top of mind for many sailors. Eco-minded boat enthusiasts can find sustainability and modern design in today’s wooden boats, according to Helen Porter, sales and marketing manager for U.K.–based Spirit Yachts, which specializes in wooden sailboats and vessels.
ROI in the Red: Celebrity Home Sales That Lost Millions
Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, Amy Schumer and MLB first baseman Freddie Freeman were just a few recent casualties of a fickle housing market Credit: Getty Images Credit: Getty Images Someone can write a hit song, win an NBA championship or even run a multibillion-dollar hedge fund and still struggle in today’s fickle housing market. Take Billy Joel.
New Life, Literally, Is Coming for One of the Grittest Parts of Manhattan
The area south of Times Square between Fifth and Eighth avenue is a no man’s land for many New Yorkers—at least in terms of a place to live. They may catch an event at Madison Square Garden, throwing elbows with throngs of bridge-and-tunnelers. Others may trudge to their non-descript offices or spend a day running errands at Herald Square and along 34th Street. However, it hasn’t been a destination for new housing or development. Until now.
She Wanted a Quiet House in the Berkshires for About $800,000 Original
Julia Kaplan in Berkshire County, Mass., where she recently closed on a new house. Tony Cenicola/The New York Times Fifteen years ago, Julia Kaplan left New Jersey to escape its notoriously high property taxes and settled in the small city of Pittsfield, Mass., in the Berkshire Mountains. Over the years, Ms. Kaplan updated and renovated her historic, six-bedroom home in Pittsfield, which had plenty of space for her two college-age children when they returned home for summers.
U.S. Presidents Called These Properties Home-And You Could, Too
The saying “a president slept here” never loses its cachet, whether the politician in question is a Founding Father or currently in the White House. For this Presidents Day, Mansion Global rounded up five mansions that have been home to leaders of the U.S. executive branch—and which you could call home, too.
A Relic From the New York Public Library Makes This Palm Beach Dining Room Worth Checking Out
A modern mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, with a piece of New York City history inside has hit the market for $26.9 million. Located on the North End of the exclusive barrier island, the Italianate-style residence was completed in 2016 and is “a true designer’s residence,” according to Margit Brandt of Premier Estate Properties, who listed the property last week.
U.S. Home Buyers Are Scoring the Biggest Discounts Since at Least 2012
This might be the year to place a bid on that slightly out-of-reach home. U.S. home buyers had the advantage in price negotiations in 2025, according to a report Monday from Redfin. Last year, buyers saved an average of 7.9% off the asking price of a residence, up from 7.5% in 2024 and the biggest average discount since 2012, the data showed.
The Winning Play: Home Buyers Who Follow the Chiefs to Kansas City, Kansas
The Kansas City Chiefs are not leaving their city. But they are leaving the state. The NFL team’s officials announced plans recently for a new “state-of-the-art domed stadium” that will move the team from the Missouri side of Kansas City to Wyandotte County, Kansas, which is about 11 miles west of the bi-state city’s downtown area. Since the announcement, Kim Brown, an agent at ReeceNichols/Luxury Portfolio International, has seen a bump in activity.
Caribbean Island Shakira and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters Planned to Turn to an Artists’ Retreat Back up for Sale
This private island for sale in the Bahamas is pop star approved. Located among the Berry Islands, Bonds Cay—once owned by a group of investors that included Shakira and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters—is set to hit the market this week for $30 million, Mansion Global has learned.
Curving and Colorful, This ‘Blastproof’ Florida Mansion Designed to Withstand Hurricanes Has Views Like a Cruise Ship
A waterfront Florida mansion with a private dock that can accommodate a 135-foot yacht is headed to auction next month with a reserve of $7 million. Located on Isles of Capri on Treasure Island, Florida—a barrier island about 9 miles west of St. Petersburg—the nearly 6,500-square-foot residence was built to withstand any kind of weather, including a Category 5 hurricane, according to Misha Haghani, founder and CEO of Paramount Realty USA, which is handling the auction.
America’s Billionaires, From Trucking to Cosmetics and Casino Moguls, Drove the Priciest Home Sales of 2025
America’s billionaire home buyers are branching out. Case in point, the priciest sale in the U.S. this year wasn’t in Manhattan, Miami or Malibu, but rather Naples, on Florida’s Gulf Coast. “Pre-pandemic, it was Palm Beach and maybe a little Miami where you’d see these really high transactions,” according to Jonathan Miller, president and CEO of the appraisal company Miller Samuel.
Dom Pérignon Champagne From Prince Charles and Diana’s 1981 Wedding Selling in Time for New Year’s Eve
Just in time for New Year’s Eve, a magnum of Dom Pérignon Vintage 1961 Champagne bottled for the 1981 royal wedding of then-Prince Charles and Lady Diana is headed to the auction block. The bottle is expected to fetch between €67,000 and €80,000 (US$77,874 and US$92,984) at the Dec. 11 auction, according to Bruun Rasmussen, the Danish auction house handling the sale.
Advent Calendars For Everyone on Your List
During the lead up to the holidays, it’s all about the little treats. Revelers have known this for hundreds of years, celebrating with a daily advent calendar. The festively shaped and decorated boxes offer a small trinket or gift behind each miniature door. Here are seven advent calendars that will bring a bit of joy to those December days. Sweeten up the season with the 24-day advent calendar from gourmet candy company Sugarfina.
Art Dealer Barbara Gladstone’s Beach Home Sells for $11.2 Million in a Record Deal for New York’s North Fork
“The North Fork has matured into its own sought-after coastal market,” said Bridget Elkin. “These sales illustrate that discerning buyers see lasting value here, not just as an alternative to the Hamptons, but as a community defined by authenticity and long-term investment strength.” Gladstone, who died in June 2024 at age 89, purchased the home via a LLC in 2012 for $5.5 million, according to records with PropertyShark.
Tudor Mansion With Turrets and Fountains Lists for $13 Million as the Most Expensive Home in the Detroit Area
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A Designer Turned His 710-Square-Foot Hamptons Cottage ‘Into a Jewel’
At one point, Mims enlisted an architect to create a much larger house on the property, but he kept getting positive feedback on the home’s cozy feel. “Every renter would say, ‘Oh my God, I love it, it’s so charming,’” Mims recalled.
An Uber-Luxury, Six-Figure Rental in Malibu Hits the Sales Market Asking $52 Million
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The Midcentury Home and Studio of Composer Gustav Mahler’s Daughter Lists in L.A. for $1.8 Million
The modest, 1,630-square-foot home got a clever makeover in 1998 by architects William Adams, FAIA and Carl Smith, he said. “The original walls, including the living room, kitchen, bedroom walls and ceilings were all removed to create a contemporary and open architectural space,” Moore explained.
Penthouse in One of Manhattan’s Storied Upper East Side Co-ops Lists for $15.5 Million
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Woodstock Home Designed by the Architect Behind Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios Listed for $3.5M
Anchored by a large brick fireplace, the sitting room “evokes the sensorial immersion typical of Storyk’s performance spaces. Here, spatial geometry and acoustics are not incidental but essential,” Breslau said in the listing.
Fashion Designer Marc Ecko Relists Gilded Age New Jersey Mansion for $10 Million
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Hip-Hop Music Exec Lists French-Style Chateau Outside Dallas for $4.4 Million
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The Richest Have the Rosiest Outlook. 62% Expect to Be Richer a Year From Now.
Meanwhile, only about 53% of emerging affluents—those who have less than $1 million in assets—and 54% of high-net-worth individuals, (HNWIs), whose assets are valued between $1 million and $9.9 million, say the same.
Historic San Francisco Townhouse Hits the Market for the First Time Since the 1940s
“This home radiates classic charm and enduring craftsmanship, ready to be cherished as is or reimagined by its next owner,” said listing agent Alexander Fromm Lurie of the Lurie Group, who co-listed the residence with David Cohen of City Real Estate last week. Built for Joseph B. Batten, a businessman in the city, the home stands among some of San Francisco’s stateliest mansions. The same family has owned the home since the 1940s, most recently using it as a rental property, records show.
Home Sales Boomed in Florida’s Priciest Regions in the Third Quarter
It’s been a bumpy ride for Florida real estate markets, but an increase in sales in the third quarter was a sign of stabilization, according to a report Thursday from Douglas Elliman. Ten out of the 14 cities the report analyzed saw increased annual sales, the data showed. Wellington, Florida, saw the biggest jump in sales—nearly 20%, according to the report. Palm Beach was a close second, with a 19.2% increase in sales, followed by Delray Beach (16%), Naples (10%) and Fort Lauderdale (6.8%).
The Weeknd Pays a Record $50 Million for Miami-Area Megamansion
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Perdue Chicken Heiress’s Historic New Hampshire Estate Gets a $5 Million Price Chop
A Perdue Chicken heiress has chopped more than $5 million from the price of her family’s 125-year-old New Hampshire estate, which is now asking just under $10 million. Mitzi Perdue, the widow of Perdue Chicken CEO Frank Perdue and also a scion of the Sheraton hotel family, is one of a group of sellers behind Knollwood, a circa-1900 estate in Dublin, New Hampshire, about 80 miles northwest of Boston.
Perdue Chicken Heiress’s Historic New Hampshire Estate Gets a $5 Million Price Chop
A Perdue Chicken heiress has chopped more than $5 million from the price of her family’s 125-year-old New Hampshire estate, which is now asking just under $10 million. Mitzi Perdue, the widow of Perdue Chicken CEO Frank Perdue and also a scion of the Sheraton hotel family, is one of a group of sellers behind Knollwood, a circa-1900 estate in Dublin, New Hampshire, about 80 miles northwest of Boston.
Modern Megamansion Outside Porto Hits the Market for €8.5 Million
A Portuguese megamansion with a design that takes cues from Brutalism has hit the market for €8.5 million (US$9.87 million). Known as Mosteiró Villa, the residence is set on more than 2 acres in Vila do Conde, Portugal—a coastal municipality about 18 miles north of Porto. The more than 15,000-square-foot house appears secluded behind its hedged borders, but is still accessible to the city, according to Rita Vasconcelos, head of sales at Savills Porto. She listed the property Monday.
Seattle Home With Space Needle Views Lists for $3.2 Million
A five-bedroom Seattle residence with Space Needle views has hit the market for $3.2 million. Built in 2010 by a master woodworker, the modern home is located in the Queen Anne section of the city. Its facade features a thin stone and glass section flanked by two wider boxes clad in wood, according to the listing with Ian Porter and Annabelle Grimm of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International. They listed the property at the beginning of the month.
This Florida Home in the U.S.’s ‘Oldest City’ Was Built for a Civil War Vet
A landmarked Florida home built for a Civil War veteran has hit the market for $3.2 million. Located in St. Augustine, Florida, the home is “an incredible blend of the Queen Anne Victorian architecture and Moorish revival courtyard arches,” according to Elizabeth Jennings of ONE Sotheby’s International Realty. She and her colleague, Kate Mitchell, listed the property Friday. “There is nothing else like it,” Jennings added. Built in 1893, it was originally a winter home for John J.
Late ‘21 Jump Street’ and ‘Commish’ Producer’s Pasadena, California, Home Lists for $22 Million
A nearly 100-year-old residence in Pasadena, California, that was home to a Hollywood producer and his family for decades has hit the market for $22 million. The Monterey Colonial-style house, which stands on 5 acres, was designed in 1928 by notable architect Reginald D. Johnson, who was instrumental in developing the architecture of California, according to last week’s listing with agents Ted Clark and Heather Lillard of Compass.
A Lower Manhattan Townhouse, a Federalist-Era Relic Built in 1804, Hits the Market for $6.35 Million
A 220-year-old Manhattan townhouse—one of the rare few still surviving in Tribeca—has hit the market for the first time in more than 30 years for $6.35 million. Located on the southwest corner of Harrison and Greenwich streets, the approximately 2,800-square-foot, four-story residence has been home to listing agent Barrie Mandel of Corcoran and her family for more than 30 years. Mandel listed the property last week. “My husband and I raised our three children here,” she said.
Roseanne Barr’s Hawaii Macadamia Nut Farm Sells for 30% Over Her Asking Price
Comedian Roseanne Barr’s macadamia nut farm in Honokā‘a, Hawaii, sold last week for $2.6 million, according to property records. The deal was made in a “crazy frenzy” that drove the price up more than 30%, according to Paul Stukin, founder and CEO of Deep Blue HI. “In fact, it sold for $650,000 over asking,” he said in an email. “Buyers flew in from five different states, the neighbor islands and three European countries.” Roseanne Barr, far left, with her "Roseanne" cast members.
L.A. Home of the Original Tarzan, Golden Age Actor Johnny Weissmuller, Lists for Nearly $5 Million
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200-Year-Old House Beneath London’s Wimbledon Windmill Hits the Market for £7.5 Million
Your browser does not support the audio tag. This feature is powered by text-to-speech technology. Want to see it on more articles? Give your feedback below or email audiofeedback@wsj.com. thumb-stroke-medium thumb-stroke-medium An 1820 mill house in the shadow of the Wimbledon Windmill in London has hit the market for £7.5 million (US$10.06 million).
‘Nothing Being Built’ Months After L.A. Wildfires. Could Prefab Passive Homes Be a Solution?
Andreas M. Benzing is scaling up. The co-founder of A.M.Benzing Architects has long been a leader in the Passive House movement, an eco-sustainable and technology-forward building style with rigorous energy and efficiency requirements. He has designed residences that meet these standards for about 16 years, and now he’s bringing Passive House design to the masses.
Showgirl Josephine Baker’s Ornate Mansion Outside of Paris Hits the Market for €20.84 Million
Your browser does not support the audio tag. This feature is powered by text-to-speech technology. Want to see it on more articles? Give your feedback below or email audiofeedback@wsj.com. thumb-stroke-medium thumb-stroke-medium Villa Beau-Chêne, the 12-bedroom Parisian mansion where Josephine Baker made her home in the 1930s and ’40s, is on the market for €20.84 million (US$24.45 million).
Otherworldly Dome Home in Southern California Is Selling for the First Time Since It Was Built
A mountaintop Monolithic Dome—and funky family home—in Yucaipa, California, has hit the market for a hair under $3 million. Located about 20 minutes from San Bernardino, the 3,895-square-foot residence has 360-degree views of Lake Perris, Lake San Jacinto and the San Bernardino National Forest, according to Kristy Sartorius and Chip Sartorius of Vista Sotheby’s International Realty. They listed the 42-acre property on Monday.
The Lofty Living Room of This Converted London Dairy Will Have You Saying ‘Holy Cow!’
A former dairy that’s been converted into a sleek artist’s home has hit the London market for £3.75 million (US$5.4 million). Located in the West London neighborhood of North Kensington, the space was converted in the late 1990s by Theo Otten of Otten Partners Architects, according to the listing with Joshua Ratcliffe of U.K. Sotheby’s International Realty. “It’s extremely rare to find this kind of warehouse-style lateral living on just two floors in West London,” Ratcliffe said.
1960s Connecticut House With a Roof Shaped Like a Pringles Chip Lists for $2.75 Million
A Mid-Century Modern home in New Canaan, Connecticut, with no interior walls has hit the market for $2.75 million. Built in 1961, the Evans House—named for its architect, James Evans—is topped with an undulating hyperbolic paraboloid roof, according to John-Michael Rachinsky-Wood of Harbor Bridge Realty. He listed the property in mid-September. “That’s a really unique aspect,” he said. “You may have seen it elsewhere described as a horse saddle, which is really true.
Quincy Jones’s Bel-Air Megamansion Is Now Asking $55 Million
The longtime Los Angeles megamansion of the late music impresario Quincy Jones got a $5 million price cut on Tuesday. Now listed at $55 million, the nearly 25,000-square-foot home in the city’s ultra-affluent Bel-Air neighborhood first hit the market in June for $59.995 million, according to listing records. Jones, who died in 2024 at age 91, had a heavy influence on the 2002 custom build.
Otherworldly Dome Home in Southern California Is Selling for the First Time Since It Was Built
Your browser does not support the audio tag. This feature is powered by text-to-speech technology. Want to see it on more articles? Give your feedback below or email audiofeedback@wsj.com. thumb-stroke-medium thumb-stroke-medium A mountaintop Monolithic Dome—and funky family home—in Yucaipa, California, has hit the market for a hair under $3 million.
Quincy Jones’s Bel-Air Megamansion Is Now Asking $55 Million
The longtime Los Angeles megamansion of the late music impresario Quincy Jones got a $5 million price cut on Tuesday. Now listed at $55 million, the nearly 25,000-square-foot home in the city’s ultra-affluent Bel-Air neighborhood first hit the market in June for $59.995 million, according to listing records. Jones, who died in 2024 at age 91, had a heavy influence on the 2002 custom build.
In Atlanta, a French-Style Chateau Has Listed With Bedroom Closets That Cost ‘a Couple Million Dollars’
A French-inspired Atlanta residence “that feels like a compound” hit the market Thursday for $10.5 million, according to listing agent Ben Hirsh of Hirsh Real Estate. Located uptown, just a block away from Buckhead Village—home to the St. Regis Atlanta hotel and high-end shopping and dining—the nearly 12,000-square-foot mansion sits on a double lot for a total of 1.35 acres. “You feel like you’re on this super large property,” Hirsh said.
Ignore the Dismal Housing Data: Three Seller’s Markets Where It’s a Prime Time to List
Home buying in the U.S. has fallen to lows not seen in decades, but not all sellers should be spooked. This autumn, sellers still have a clear upper hand in a number of busy markets, particularly across the East Coast and Midwest, where inventory is so low and the pace of sales so fast that some homes are selling even before they are publicly listed.
Harry Gesner-Designed Malibu Beach House, an Ode to the 1970s, Selling for the First Time in 50 Years
When Zen Gesner walked into this recently listed Malibu beach house, he instantly recognized his father’s design. In fact, he’d grown up with many similar features in his family home. Harry Gesner, who died in 2022 at the age of 97, was an influential architect in California. His Sandcastle, which sold last year for $13.5 million, attracted the attention of a local family in the early 1970s. They commissioned Gesner to create a beach house with many of the same elements.
The Force Is With This Disney-Inspired Florida Home That Boasts a ‘Star Wars’ Theater
An Orlando, Florida, residence with a home theater that transports residents to “a galaxy far, far away” is back on the market for $14.5 million. The more than 10,000-square-foot Mediterranean-style mansion is in the neighborhood of Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort, about 6 miles from Disney’s Magic Kingdom. And the home’s main attraction is a “Star Wars”-inspired home theater.
Ignore the Dismal Housing Data: Three Seller’s Markets Where It’s a Prime Time to List
Home buying in the U.S. has fallen to lows not seen in decades, but not all sellers should be spooked. This autumn, sellers still have a clear upper hand in a number of busy markets, particularly across the East Coast and Midwest, where inventory is so low and the pace of sales so fast that some homes are selling even before they are publicly listed.
Futuristic Metal-Clad Boston Mansion With a Helipad on the Roof Back up for Sale Asking $7 Million
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