Looking for somewhere not more than 30 Mins from Boston, very high budget (Brookline: estate)

[findingmesomeday]

Originally Posted by NY'er lost in MA

those towns are great, but keep in mind what type of property he is looking for. A property of that size does not exist in those towns currently...

Well, I haven't checked the MLS for the towns I listed, but in general, Dover and Sherborn have about a 2 acre minimum on properties--many have much more acreage. Medfield houses can easily contain 2+ acres. I can't speak for Wellesley or Sudbury.

[Parsec]

The problem is you're checking the MLS. The type of home you're looking for generally don't list on public listing services. You should contact a high-end broker for your needs, maybe Gibson Sotheby's. A majority of the 15,000+ s.f. homes that sell here have exclusive private listings that require you to put a deposit of $100k and be SEC-accredited to even get a tour. The people on this forum aren't going to be of much help, except maybe getting you acquainted w/some basic town info.

[Valerie C]

Please don't assume that real estate professionals who may be on this board are not familiar with high-end properties. Marketing is certainly taken to the next level with estate properties, but you may be surprised to see the quality of properties available via MLS. The consumer is at a distinct disadvantage when dealing with "exclusive agency". The Seller's Agency is under contract to sell for the highest possible price. Period.

[NY'er lost in MA]

Originally Posted by NChomesomeday

Well, I haven't checked the MLS for the towns I listed, but in general, Dover and Sherborn have about a 2 acre minimum on properties--many have much more acreage. Medfield houses can easily contain 2+ acres. I can't speak for Wellesley or Sudbury.

The thing that is unique and almost rare is the 15,000 sq. ft. he is looking for. There just aren't that many properties that exist of that size- period....no matter what town!

There are some that meet his needs on the MLS. Deferring to a 'special' high end broker is not going to open up doors to more options- just probably tool him around in a BMW SUV or something

[missionhill]

The OP's request for advice doesn't add up-- 35 min from Boston maximum, but then again, maybe Vermont? A historic house but 15K square feet? None of the really old houses in Mass or New England are huge; we don't have a titled aristocracy like the English lords who built manor houses two and three hundred years ago. We have quite a few mega houses from the robber baron era, pre-income tax, like the Crane estate in Ipswich or Newport's cottages. Maybe those count as historic? Anyway, the request sounds like a joke to me. But to play along, I'd throw in Hingham and Cohasset--both towns with many very old houses though I daresay none of them approaching the size he specifies. Beginning September you have quick and convenient rail service into Boston, courtesy of the MBTA, in addition to the existing ferry service, so you can forget the driving problem.

[MovingForward]

missionhill: I agree. Something funny about that post.

[NY'er lost in MA]

yeah- where is this fellow anyway??? No response..?

[2KidsforMe]

Guys-this just doesn't add up. Someone in the 6-10 million range on a forum looking for advice? Shouldn't they pay people to do this for them? I hate to be cynical, let's see if the OP comes back.

[ogre]

Originally Posted by 2KidsforMe

Guys-this just doesn't add up. Someone in the 6-10 million range on a forum looking for advice? Shouldn't they pay people to do this for them? I hate to be cynical, let's see if the OP comes back.

This is a very good point, that someone able to spend this kind of money would likely hire someone to do the search for him. I had been wondering about this one anyway, because of that inconsistency about wanting to be really close to Boston but also being ready to consider Vermont.

It is true that you get people on here who are unfamiliar with the area and don't realize that what they're looking for will be a challenge to find, if not impossible. Usually it's a case where money is very much a factor, like someone looking for something you can't find in Boston for the money the person wants to spend (house with a yard, nice clean town with excellent schools, no more than 40 min. from downtown Boston--and can spend up to 300k on a house). It's only natural that people might have more sympathy for someone in that situation than someone with huge bucks wanting to find a grand estate, but still, if this is legit, maybe people can put envy aside and do what we do on here, and give advice on where to find what the OP is looking for.

It would help, though, if we could get some answers to these nagging questions.

[Providential Man]

I do realise that this post must appear somewhat strange, however, I do not currently live in the US, I live in London. My experience of "exclusive agents" so far is that they simply rip you off.

When I mentioned Vermont, I didn't realise how far it was from Boston, till I looked at an atlas!

I work in the medical field and am establishing an office in Boston. Whilst I have been to boston many times, I don't get the oppertunity to venture out to scout for areas. As a result, I need to identify an area before I would consider instructing an agent who would most likely find a property that would cost me as much as possible, without necessarily presenting me with all the options. I have been burned before, and have thus decided to do some digging myself.

I do appreciate all of the advice given so far from everyone, and I assure you, of my genuine intentions.