Five Most Expensive Home Sales in the United States

The housing market may be down, but records at the top end of real estate are being smashed left and right, with some of the country’s most expensive homes being snatched up by members of the uber-elite upper-echelons of monetary society: the world’s billionaires. It comes as no surprise that Florida and California are home to the five most expensive home sales in the United States history, thanks to their iconic beaches and industry-specific cities. And, in case you were wondering about how the housing bust has affected things, fear not: the top two most expensive home purchases were both made in 2011!

The late Aaron Spelling, famed television show producer, was once the owner of one of the most expensive homes in the country.

5. Palm Beach is certainly home to lots of glitz and glamour, including the number five entry on our list, the previous oceanfront estate of billionaire Sidney Kimmel, which sold in 2008 to finance billionaire John Thornton for $81.5 million. The 32,000 square foot home has 26-foot ceilings, staff quarters, a wine cellar, waterfalls, and a 27-zone air conditioner. In 2007 the property taxes on this property alone were over $500,000!

4. Gary Winnick, a global telecommunications executive, bought his Bel Air estate in 2000 for $92 million—$66 million of which he paid up in cash. Known as “Casa Encantada” when it was owned by Ohio billionaire David Murdoch, the home sprawls over 30,000 square feet on 9 acres, and includes tennis courts, a pool house, and stunning views of the Los Angeles city. The house had originally been built by none other than Conrad Hilton, of Hilton hotel (and Paris) fame.

3. 2008 saw Dmitri Rybololev drop a cool $95 million on Maison de l’Amitie, Donald Trump’s former Palm Beach estate. Now known as the Rybololev estate, the 33,000 square foot home sits on six acres along the Florida beachfront, and was renovated by Trump after he scored the property for a mere $41 million in 2004. Rybololev, who made his fortune in fertilizers, may be knee deep in trouble, now that he’s embroiled in a nasty divorce with his wife Elena, who is demanding $6 billion in her settlement—an estimated half of his fortune.

2. Silicon Valley is well known for its wealth-generating technology companies, so it’s no surprise that it’s also home to the second most expensive home sale in the United States: a 25,500 square foot home located in Los Altos, California. Purchased in March of this year by Russian tech billionaire Yuri Milner for $100 million, the home sports indoor and outdoor pools, a ballroom, and nine bathrooms. Ah yes, but does it have Wi-Fi?

1. Finally, if the preceding homes haven’t taken your breath away, perhaps the price tag of billionaire heiress Petra Ecclestone’s recent home purchase might. Listed at a mere $150 million dollars, Ecclestone’s new home “The Manor” lies just outside of Beverly Hills, and was once the home of famed TV-producer Aaron Spelling (who was behind such smash hits as Dynasty, Charlie’s Angels, and Beverly Hills 90210). The home features a whopping 123 rooms in over 55,000 square feet, and features parking for up to 100 cars. Welcome home, indeed!