1. Charlton Heston’s midcentury home hits the market for the first time ever.
Myra Nourmand Luxury Estates

The Academy Award-winning actor Charlton Heston commissioned Modernist architect William S. Beckett to design this Beverly Hills abode In 1959. Perched on 2.9 acres overlooking Coldwater Canyon, the home, which is mostly original, has remained in the Heston family until now. The five-bedroom residence spans nearly 10,000 square feet and has garnered tons of attention thanks to its lasting midcentury appeal. The home features stunning mountain views from nearly every room as well as a two-story library, a luxurious master suite, Terrazzo floors, a marble stone bar, and staff quarters. Outdoor features include a built-in barbecue, a pool, a tennis court, a meditation area, and an outbuilding complete with an observation deck, a screening room, and a spacious art studio. The Charlton Heston estate is on the market for $12.5 million. Click here to view the full listing.

2. A bargain at $6.5 million after a $2 million price drop for this historic New Jersey waterfront estate.
Sotheby’s International Realty

The Holly House is a majestic New Jersey estate tucked between the Atlantic Ocean and Navesink River, which makes for some pretty spectacular views. Built in 1915, the historic home has been meticulously restored and retains much of its original grandeur, while offering an array of modern day amenities, including radiant heated floors, an elevator, and stereo and camera systems. Set on 3.7 beautifully landscaped acres, the five-bedroom home features formal and informal spaces, a paneled library, a billiards room with a wet bar, a separate carriage/guest house, a pool, a tennis court, a pond, and a deep water dock. The exceedingly elegant and livable Holly House carries a $6.5 million price tag. Click here to view the full listing.

3. At over 30 years old, this Westchester County estate couldn't be more modern.
Houlihan Lawrence

This ultra modern Westchester estate was designed by architect Myron Goldfinger in 1984. Known for his highly sculptural and highly luxurious residences, Goldfinger incorporated vast expanses of glass into the home’s design, which makes for spectacular views of nearby Byram Lake as well as the 225-acre nature preserve surrounding the home. The 8,500-square-foot, five-bedroom residence boasts bright and airy interiors, including a Great Room with a soaring 50-foot ceiling, a screening room, and a lavish master wing complete with a rooftop observatory. The home’s equally impressive outdoor amenities include a pool, a spacious cabana, a tennis court, and a fire pit. The asking price for the stunning property recently dropped from $6.9 million to $5.9 million. Click here to view the full listing.

4. At $28 million, this Beaux Arts stunner is the most expensive home on the San Francisco market.

 

 

Neal Ward Properties

San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood is no stranger to grand homes, but this Beaux Arts beauty takes the cake. Originally designed in 1901 by noted California architect James Francis Dunn for James Madison, a businessman who made his fortune with the Alaskan Salmon Company, the 9,095-square-foot residence boast unmatched views of the San Francisco Bay, including the Golden Gate Bridge and Angel Island. After 50+ years as an apartment building, the home’s current owners hired Paul McClean of Los Angeles’ McClean Design to revert the property back to a family residence. The project kicked off in 2013 and involved preserving the home’s historic facade while modernizing its vast interiors. Today, the seven-bedroom estate features a dramatic elliptical spiral staircase, floor-to-ceiling walls of glass, custom built-ins, marble touches, and a rooftop spa complete with an infinity pool. The awe-inspiring home is on the market for $28 million. Click here to view the full listing.       

 

5. This palatial prewar penthouse is pure Manhattan elegance.

 

 

Sotheby's International Realty

Surrounded by contemporary high rises, this elegant midtown penthouse harkens back to Manhattan’s glamorous past. Located in the Briarcliff, an elegant prewar building  across from Carnegie Hall, the 5,573-square-foot, four-bedroom residence features beautifully appointed interiors by Mario Buatta, a New York-based designer known for his timeless style. Among the penthouse’s myriad amenities are a spacious living room with two wood-burning fireplaces and barrel-vaulted ceilings, a unique windowed entry vestibule, a gallery, a terraced corner master bedroom suite, marble baths,  custom lacquer portals, hand carved wood moldings, and French doors that open onto a planted terrace, which boasts a fireplace, elaborate decorative stonework, verdant plantings, and a trellised gazebo. Currently owned by billionaire investor and art collector Wilbur Ross, the sky-high retreat is on the market for $21 million. Click here to view the full listing.