❌

Normal view

Received before yesterday

One of the last remaining Gilded Age mansions in New York City just sold for $46 million. Take a look inside.

28 May 2025 at 20:35
exterior of 973 Ffith Avenue and a living room with green paneled walls a maroon couch and a fireplace
The Fifth Avenue mansion was built during the Gilded Age but has been fully restored for a "21st-century lifestyle."

Will Ellis/DDReps for Corcoran

  • A Fifth Avenue mansion built during the Gilded Age just sold for $46 million.
  • The 11-bedroom, 10-bathroom home features ornate details and original features.
  • The mansion was designed by architect Stanford White and spans over 16,000 square feet.

One of the last remaining Gilded Age mansions in New York CityΒ was just snapped up for $46 million.

The 16,000-square-foot home β€” the only fully restored Stanford White-designed mansion on Fifth Avenue β€” has seven levels and looks out over Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The home was reportedly initially listed for $80 million in 2021. After multiple price reductions, it was relisted for $49.9 million by the Corcoran Group in February, and the property sold earlier this month for $46 million, city records show.

A representative for Corcoran told Business Insider earlier this year that $300,000 in new upgrades was spent in preparation to list the property "to enhance the current owners' $15 million renovation after their purchase of the mansion in 2012."

Not much is known about the new owner, but sources told The New York Post that it's a finance-industry family from outside New York.

Take a look inside this historic Gilded Age mansion.

The Fifth Avenue mansion "embodies the height of Beaux-Arts design and old-world European craftsmanship," according to its listing.
973 Fifth Avenue
The front facade of the Gilded Age home.

Will Ellis/DDReps for Corcoran

The home is located near the corner of Fifth Avenue and 79th Street in Manhattan. It occupies 25 feet of prestigious Fifth Avenue real estate.

Henry H. Cook, the original commissioner of the building, hired the architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White to lead the project.

Construction on the building began in 1902 and was completed in 1907, two years after Cook's death in 1905.

There are only a few Beaux-Arts-style mansions still remaining in New York City.

Key characteristics of Beaux-Arts architecture, which was popular in the US in the late 19th century and early 20th century, include "a focus on symmetry," classical features like columns or pediments, and "highly decorative surfaces," such as carved doorways and crown molding, according to the Chicago Architecture Center.

The historic home was designed by Gilded Age architect Stanford White.
Architect Stanford White and Evelyn Nesbit
Architect Stanford White and Evelyn Nesbit.

Bettmann/Getty Images

White is one of the most famous architects in history. He is known for his style inspired by the Italian Renaissance and is one of the most famous architects to emerge from the Gilded Age in Manhattan.

He is also famous for his death, which was shrouded in scandal.

On the night of June 25, 1906, Pittsburgh millionaire Henry Shaw shot and killed White at Madison Square Garden because of a prior relationship between White and Thaw's wife, chorus girl Evelyn Nesbit, the National Park Service reported. Nesbit was just 16 when she met White.

White was 52 when he died, and much of his architectural legacy was tainted by the scandal in the years after his death.

However, he is now recognized as one of the most influential architects of the early 20th century.

The home is the only fully restored Stanford White-designed mansion on Fifth Avenue.
973 Fifth Avenue
The mansion's limestone flooring and fireplaces have been restored to their original grandeur.

Will Ellis/DDReps for Corcoran

In the decades following the Gilded Age β€” and amid financial challenges and changing tastes and values β€” many of the largest mansions in New York City were torn down or repurposed.

Corcoran's Andres Perea-Garzon β€” who listed the property with Carrie Chiang and Lesley Schulhof, also of the Corcoran Group β€” told Mansion Global that the home is one of only five mansions designed by Stanford White still in existence in New York City.

Of those, only two β€” including this one β€” are single-family townhouses in Manhattan.

The floorplan has been updated from White's original design but retains many of his choices.

After its previous owners purchased it in 2012, the home underwent a multi-year restoration project.
the morning kitchen with a chandelier waterfall island and fireplace
The home has been updated to attract a modern buyer.

Will Ellis/DDReps for Corcoran

The renovated morning kitchen, pictured above, has a Carrara marble waterfall island that reflects more modern trends.

The home has also been updated to reflect 21st-century living, with upgrades like a "modernized" elevator and nine restored wood-burning fireplaces, per the listing.

It was transformed into an entertainer's paradise.
the dining room with illustrated wallpaper full dining table and checkered flooring
The dining room features a marble fireplace.

Will Ellis/DDReps for Corcoran

The home has five separate kitchens, including a family kitchen, a chef's kitchen, a butler's pantry, a staff kitchen, and a serving kitchen.

The scullery and butler's pantry also each have a dumbwaiter to accommodate service across the entertaining levels.

Despite the upgrades, the home has retained its Gilded Age grandeur.
a limestone winding staircase with wrought iron railings and green carpeting
The limestone staircase has been fully restored.

Will Ellis/DDReps for Corcoran

Many of the home's most impressive features, including its limestone flooring and staircase with a wrought-iron railing, have been restored to their original condition.

The primary bedrooms have dressing areas and en-suite bathrooms.
a bedroom with cream walls crown molding and a fireplace
The mansion has 11 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms.

Will Ellis/DDReps for Corcoran

The mansion, which spans over 16,000 square feet and has 11 bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, and three half-baths, was cut from its original price of $80 million in 2021, The New York Post reported.

The home's details include French stained-glass windows and marble fireplaces.
a fancy parlor with chandelier looking into an ornate room. on the side is a staircase with iron railing
The home is filled with original details and luxurious new additions.

Will Ellis/DDReps for Corcoran

Inside the home's double grand parlors, there are 16-foot-high ceilings fitted with wooden beams as well as hand-carved marble fireplaces, according to the listing.

One living space features crown molding and floor-to-ceiling windows.
a parlor with green molded walls and large windows overlooking the park
This parlor features a working fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows.

Will Ellis/DDReps for Corcoran

The home embodies upper-crust living with a climate-controlled wine cellar, a steam room, a linen room, and a silver and jewelry vault.

The mansion has also undergone more practical upgrades.
a room opposite a grand staircase. its painted white with a beige couch, chandelier, and modern art on the walls
The home has a new HVAC system to service its seven floors.

Will Ellis/DDReps for Corcoran

Every room across its seven floors has a separate HVAC zone, per the listing. Humidifiers and a water purification system were also added.

The home was marketed as a single-family home but the listing noted it could also be repurposed into an art gallery.
a bedroom with a canopy bed, chandelier, and marble fireplace
The home currently functions as a single-family residence.

Will Ellis/DDReps for Corcoran

The listing states that the home can be used as a private residence, an embassy or mission, a nonprofit foundation office with a limit of 50 employees, or a non-commercial art gallery.

One of the home's most jaw-dropping features is its views of Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
the view of central park from 973 Fifth Avenue
The home has sweeping views of Central Park.

Will Ellis/DDReps for Corcoran

The home is located on Cook Block, a zoning district that restricts buildings to six stories or fewer for a full city block. This prevents new construction from restricting the home's sweeping views.

The mansion also has a private courtyard for indoor-outdoor living.
the private courtyard which features views of the met and an ornate statue
The private courtyard overlooks the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Will Ellis/DDReps for Corcoran

"As one of the last private mansions of its kind, 973 Fifth Avenue is an irreplaceable masterpiece, fully restored to its original grandeur while discreetly integrating modern luxury at the highest standard," the listing read.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Bids for Pope Leo XIV's childhood home start at $250,000, but there's a catch

22 May 2025 at 21:22
Small brick home with grass in front.
The childhood home of Pope Leo XIV is in Dolton, Illinois.

Photo by Jim Vondruska/Getty Images

  • The owners of Pope Leo XIV's childhood home in Illinois are trying to sell it via private auction.
  • The home was listed for $199,900 before the pope's appointment. Now, bids start at $250,000.
  • The auction winner may not get to enjoy it because the local government wants to acquire the home.

People bidding to buy Pope Leo XIV's modest childhood home in Illinois could face some stiff competition β€” from the local government.

The innocuous three-bedroom, three-bathroom home in the Village of Dolton was thrust into the spotlight when Pope Leo XIV became the leader of the Catholic Church.

The current homeowner purchased the property in May 2024 for $66,000, listed it for $219,000 in January, and dropped the price to $199,900 in February.

After the pope's appointment on May 8, the owner, inundated with offers and new options, delisted the home until last week when it was put up for auction through Paramount Realty USA. The reserve price is $250,000, and potential buyers have until June 18 to bid.

"It's like a collectible car they only made one of," Steve Budzik, the homeowner's real estate agent, told BI earlier this month.

Potential buyers, however, will be going up against the Village of Dolton, which has said through its attorney that it plans to acquire the home either through direct purchase or eminent domain laws. Eminent domain laws allow governments to make private property available for public use.

"If a direct purchase from the seller cannot be negotiated, the Village will cause Eminent Domain proceedings to be filed in Court and take the property through the legal process," Burton S. Odelson wrote in an email to BI. "The Village hopes a direct purchase is completed without court action."

Odelson, who's been in contact with the listing broker, said the Village of Dolton is working with the Chicago Archdiocese to determine the best use of the space.

Although relying on local eminent domain laws is an option, Odelson said it's a last resort. That process involves litigation, which means attorney fees, court costs, appraisal costs, and time.

Under eminent domain laws, the Village of Dolton would have to compensate the owners for the home. Negotiations between the Village of Dolton and the current owner are ongoing.

The hype around Pope Leo XIV's childhood home spurred immediate fanfare, prompting news trucks and curious locals to visit. One woman even told a local news outlet that she made the four-hour drive from Louisville, Kentucky, just to visit the impromptu holy site.

Representatives for Paramount Realty USA and the homeowner did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider

These 10 states give retirees the best value for their savings

17 May 2025 at 10:30
retirees sitting lake

Sean Gallup / Getty Images

  • Running out of money in retirement is a big concern for many Americans.
  • Economic uncertainty is making it even harder to afford retirement.
  • These are the top states where your retirement nest egg will go the furthest.

As people live longer and spend more time in retirement, it's more important now than ever to plan for life after your job.

To make matters even more complicated, the ongoing trade war has created a tricky economic backdrop for older Americans to retire in, causing people to delay their retirements, wait to collect Social Security, or "unretire" and go back to work.

That's why being smart about where you live in your golden years can have far-reaching consequences, as housing costs β€” whether it be a mortgage, property taxes, or rent expenses β€” are typically the largest part of your monthly expenses.

Financial technology company Remitly compiled data on Americans' retirement savings across the country. How much you need in retirement varies, but the rule of thumb is that by the time you retire, you should aim to have around 10 times your salary saved. Remitly found that Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 have typically saved an average of $537,650 and a median of $185,000 β€” meaning there's high variability in the amounts that people have saved.

When calculating how much money you need for a comfortable retirement, take into consideration annual expenditures such as housing, utilities, transportation, and healthcare β€” and also factor in an additional 20% buffer for unexpected costs.

Depending on the state you retire in, the cost of living could fluctuate wildly. Remitly looked at the average retirement savings and expected annual expenditures for a comfortable retirement for each state to calculate how long a retirement nest egg lasts in different parts of the country.

While the annual expenditure to retire comfortably in many states hovered in the $60,000 to $80,000 range, a few states took the cake for sky-high costs of living. In Hawaii, Remitly found the average annual expenditure to be $129,296. California was the second-most expensive state, with annual retirement expenditures coming out to $100,687. In those states, retirement savings will only last 2.8 and 4.5 years, respectively.

On the other hand, Kansas takes first place for sustainable living costs in retirement β€” retirement savings last 7.5 years on average there.

Listed below are the top ten states where retirees can get the most bang for their buck. The average amount of savings at the time of retirement, the annual retirement expenditures, and number of years the retirement savings will last are also included.

Kansas
A residential neighborhood near Topeka, Kansas's downtown.
A residential neighborhood near downtown Topeka.

MattGush

Average retirement savings: $452,703
Annual expenditures: $60,620
Years of comfortable retirement: 7.5 years

Iowa
des moines iowa

Monte Goodyk/Getty Images

Average retirement savings: $465,127
Annual expenditures: $62,565
Years of comfortable retirement: 7.4 years

Minnesota
Downtown Minneapolis skyline at dusk with US Bank Stadium in view.
Minnesota received a top-five ranking for work environment.

Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Average retirement savings: $470,549
Annual expenditures: $65,828
Years of comfortable retirement: 7.1 years

Virginia
Townhomes in Leesburg, Virginia.
Leesburg, Virginia.

Gerville/Getty Images

Average retirement savings: $492,965
Annual expenditures: $70,342
Years of comfortable retirement: 7 years

Pennsylvania
harrisburg pennsylvania

Shutterstock/Jon Bilous

Average retirement savings: $462,075
Annual expenditures: $66,384
Years of comfortable retirement: 7 years

Illinois
ariel photo of chicago skyline

halbergman/Getty Images

Average retirement savings: $449,983
Annual expenditures: $64,787
Years of comfortable retirement: 6.9 years

Connecticut
The skyline of downtown Hartford, Connecticut.
The skyline of downtown Hartford, Connecticut.

Pat Eaton-Robb / AP

Average retirement savings: $545,754
Annual expenditures: $78,605
Years of comfortable retirement: 6.9 years

South Dakota
Aerial view of Custer, South Dakota
Custer, South Dakota

Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock

Average retirement savings: $449,628
Annual expenditures: $64,856
Years of comfortable retirement: 6.9 years

Michigan
lansing michigan

Henryk Sadura/Shutterstock

Average retirement savings: $439,568
Annual expenditures: $63,745
Years of comfortable retirement: 6.9 years

Kentucky
The riverfront of Frankfort, Kentucky with brick factories and family homes.
Frankfort, Kentucky

DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images

Average retirement savings: $441,757
Annual expenditures: $64,301
Years of comfortable retirement: 6.9 years

Read the original article on Business Insider

I visited one of the best golf clubs in America in Jackson Hole. It felt like a millionaire's playground.

25 April 2025 at 18:32
A golf course with bodies of water and pine trees dotting the landscape at sunset with mountains in the background
Shooting Star is an exclusive club and golf course in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Courtesy of Shooting Star

  • Shooting Star in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, has been ranked as one of the top golf courses in the US.
  • The golf exclusive club requires an invitation and has a long waitlist for membership.
  • From the golf course to the clubhouse, here's a look inside the private mountain oasis.

Nestled beneath the Grand Tetons in one of Jackson Hole, Wyoming's most expensive neighborhoods, PGA pros tee up at one of the most celebrated golf courses in the US, ranking no. 1 in Golf Digest's best in Wyoming and earning a spot on the top 100 US courses in 2023 and 2024.

I'm talking about Shooting Star, a members-only club in Teton Village. You have to be invited to join, and a representative of Shooting Star told Business Insider last year that the club had an extensive waitlist.

It's also not cheap. Shooting Star didn't share its current membership price with BI, but when the club opened in 2009, it had 189 members and a $100,000 membership fee.

During a trip to Jackson Hole in September 2024, I got an exclusive club tour, and it felt like a millionaire's playhouse. Take a look inside.

Welcome to the ultra-exclusive Shooting Star of Jackson Hole.
A gold course divided by a stream and dotted with Aspen trees and sand dunes sits in front of a mountain at sunset
The golf course at Shooting Star in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Courtesy of Shooting Star

Shooting Star's history dates back to the 1930s when the Resor family created Snake River Ranch, now known as the largest working cattle ranch in Jackson Hole.

Shooting Star owner and operator John Resor transformed a section of the ranch into an exclusive golf course, club, and residential community. It was a $130 million project.

Shooting Star is in Jackson Hole's Teton Village neighborhood.
A map of Teton Village with an arrow pointing to Shooting Star Jackson Hole Golf Club
Shooting Star is in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Google Maps

Roughly 22 miles from Jackson, Shooting Star is sandwiched between Snake River Ranch and Jackson Hole Resort.

The 1,300-acre space has a clubhouse, a golf course and shop, a pool deck, a barn, and residential lodges.
A large, cabin-like clubhouse behind a pool and a fire pit.
A wide view of the property.

Courtesy of Shooting Star

When I toured the property, I thought the clubhouse looked like a luxury ranch. The expansive building overlooked the golf course and a 25-meter lap pool.

The clubhouse opens to a grand foyer with a Western aesthetic.
A room with stone brick pillars on the walls, two chairs and a table between them, and a fireplace in front of the chirs with an animal skull on the wall above it
Inside the foyer.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I spotted nods to the American West when I stepped inside the clubhouse. An animal skull and realistic paintings of cattle at Snake River Ranch decorated the foyer walls.

I also noticed a range of natural textures, from the wood floors and ceiling moldings to the leather seats in front of the large stone fireplace.

Outside, the 18-hole golf course looked like a painting.
A golf course with a lake on the left, a golf course on the right, and mountains in the background
A view of the course.

Courtesy of Shooting Star

I'm no golfer, but it was instantly clear why Golf Digest ranked this a top 100 course in the US.

The 250-acre course looked dynamic, with aspen and evergreen trees dotting hills parted by 50 acres of water hazards, including ponds and streams. It was designed by Tom Fazio, who alsoΒ designed Donald Trump's golf clubs in Westchester, New York, and Pine Hill, New Jersey.

Fazio also designed multiple courses at the exclusive Vintage Club in Indian Wells, California, where Bill Gates purchased a home for $12.5 million in 1999.

The golf course blended in so seamlessly with its surroundings that I thought it was a naturally occurring landscape, but the land was actually reformed with a design goal of making each hole unique.

According to a Shooting Star brochure, the process included moving 2 million cubic yards of dirt, planting more than 2,500 trees, and carving out 50 acres of lakes.

For a handful of PGA pros, including the golf club's director Ben Polland, Shooting Star is more than a home course β€” it's a day job.

From the course, I could see the resident cabins and lodges.
Wood homes behind a golf course with a mountain and a hazy cloud in the background
Lodges and cabins beside the course.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

According to Jackson Hole Sotheby's International Realty, most homes didn't hit the market. However, the available listings include two-acre plots of land for $15.5 million and three-bedroom, four-bathroom cabins for $11.75 million.

Next to the clubhouse, the Alpine Barn is used in ski season.
A long, booden barn behing a deck with lounge chairs and a large lap pool
The Alpine Barn at Shooting Star.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

In the winter, Shooting Star becomes a skier's haven, and the Alpine Barn is the hub.

Inside, there were nearly 200 lockers. During ski season, the barn shows movies and serves complimentary food. A shuttle takes skiers to the nearby Jackson Hole Mountain Resort to hit the slopes, but there's also a track around the course's perimeter for a short run.

Back inside, the second floor of the clubhouse houses a fitness center.
Three elliptical machints with screens face a window with a view of a pool and a barn in front of mountains on a hazy day
Exercise equipment in the fitness center.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The 2,400-square-foot facility had smart cardio equipment with large screens overlooking the swimming pool and barn. A handful of workout studios offered classes like yoga and pilates.

Outside, there were also tennis and pickleball courts.

The spa was on the same floor.
Inside a spa treatment room with two beds on the left, two leather seats and an ottoman in front of a fireplace, and a bathtub below a window in the back
A peek inside a treatment room.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I entered one of the six treatment rooms and thought it felt serene.

Limestone and wood moldings texturized the walls. There was a fireplace, cozy seating, and two treatment beds.

Natural light poured in from the window at the back of the room. There was a gigantic stainless steel tub in front of it.

Bathing in there with a view of the course and the surrounding Tetons would be a dream.

The spa bathroom had amenities akin to a luxury hotel.
An array of bathrookm amenities in glass jars on a wood table in front of a window
Amenities inside the bathroom.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I spotted glass jars containing toothbrushes, razors, hair ties, eye drops, and over-the-counter pain and allergy medication.

Back downstairs, there was a restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining.
A covered outdoor patio with wooden tables and chairs and a mountain scene on the left an in the background
Outdoor dining at Shooting Star.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The dining room had a wood-burning fire pit inside. Out on the patio, members could dine right next to the golf course.

Before I headed out, I got to check out a miniature version of the property inside the clubhouse.
A mini diagram of a golf course with trees and bodies of water around it
The miniature version of the property.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The property feels vast, so seeing it all planned out on one table helped me better understand the course and development.

I left with a sense of what it might be like to be a member of such an exclusive club in an epic location.

Read the original article on Business Insider

❌