Unique Homes Blog

If you were to send a postcard from San Miguel, Mexico, it may be a single snapshot of a couple sitting at a cobblestone sidewalk cafe sipping coffee. And while this is one pastime residents and visitors of the city enjoy, it won’t tell San Miguel’s entire story.

San Miguel, a 500-year-old city tucked into the mountains of Central Mexico, can be defined by its Old World charm, cultural ambiance and its liveliness.

“When you talk to people here, they’re immersing themselves in a wide range of activities,” says Victor Cortes, who is the project general manager of Artesana Rosewood Residences in San Miguel. “Some people come here to do yoga or write a book or simply to reinvent themselves.”

With San Miguel’s cool morning air and peaceful night skies that are so clear, stars seem to be just a finger’s length away — it’s no wonder people come here to live. While you’re in San Miguel re-creating a life for yourself, where else would you want to reside but Artesana Rosewood Residences?

Artesana Rosewood Residences is the newest five-star offering in San Miguel and is being constructed using local materials, such as Cantera stone, to capture the spirit of the ancient city. The residences also will employ local artisans to craft the wrought-iron work and masonry detailed throughout the homes.

“The goal of the whole project is to be very sensitive to the architectural influences of the town,” says Cortes. “The project will feel like any other street in San Miguel.”

The first phase of Rosewood San Miguel de Allende will be the opening of 27 homes and a boutique hotel in December 2010. The homes will range in size from 1,800 square feet to 7,500 square feet with pricing from $802,000 to $2.9 million. Within the two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes will be luxurious features, such as rooftop terraces, open courtyards and outdoor living areas.

Because San Miguel is a designated World Heritage site, the color palette of the Artesana Rosewood Residences will include brick red, blues, mustard yellows and whites.

This type of project hasn’t been done in Central Mexico before,” explains Cortes. “Once it’s finished it will feel very much a part of San Miguel.”

Grab another postcard, you’ll need more than one to tell the story of this city and all you’ve found here.
—Lauren Varga

Going Global

Sailing from one Caribbean Island to another and enjoying the crystal blue sea can be quite the life of leisure. After sailing for the day in open waters, yachtsmen will need a place to dock their vessels that is equally as luxurious as their ocean lifestyle.

Currently, Scrub Island in the British Virgin Islands is being developed with the first-ever luxury resort property to call home. The 230-acre island offers white sand beaches, nature trails, protected coves, and, most importantly, a secure marina.

Scrub Island’s deep-water marina offers 60 slips for lease or transient docking. Located at the heart of the resort, the marina is just steps away from dining, accommodations and all the recreation the resort has to offer.

Residents can choose to reside in Marina Village, Ocean View Villas, Long View Residences or on estate homesites, which only 55 residents will have the pleasure of occupying. The 24 Marina Village suites offer 1,614 square feet each and are priced from $1.5 million. The Ocean View Villas start at $2.5 million and place an emphasis on outdoor living. Priced from $3.5 million, the Long View Residences offer three- to five-bedroom floor plans.

While on the island, appease your palette at Ciboney, a hilltop retreat that serves continental breakfast in the morning hours. By nightfall, tiki torches, music and the sounds of waves and wind playing their own tunes set the stage for an unforgettable dinner experience.

And when a new day begins, head to the marina to take off on another excursion. With 60 nearby islands and close proximity to the world-famous North Drop, where sport fishermen can catch an abundance of billfish, wahoo, tuna and mahi-mahi, Scrub Island makes for the perfect island getaway.
—Lauren Varga

Fabulous Finds

Discovered in 1542 to mark the beginning of what we know to be Santa Barbara, Calif., Rancho Dos Pueblos is not just any ordinary ranch. Listed for $100 million, the 2,175-acre ranch is being marketed by Kerry Mormann of Kerry Mormann & Associates.

Mormann suggests that Samuel Mosher, founder of Signal Oil, was perhaps one of Rancho Dos Pueblos’ most famous owners. Mosher took advantage of Santa Barbara’s tropical climate to include the world’s largest orchid farm right on the property.

Mormann tells the story of Mosher — whom he says was a “high roller” — and the posh gatherings he would often host on the grounds of Rancho Dos Pueblos. Centerpieces and decorations would come from plants found throughout the ranch, menus would feature pheasant, trout and wild boar — all animals that once resided on the property — and fresh produce, such as avocados and cherimoya, would be picked fresh and used as ingredients in many of the meals served.

Mosher’s love for plants and wildlife is also evident in the 100-foot-tall Morton Bay Fig trees that line the driveway and lead to the 1920s main house. The main residence has maintained its old character but does boast luxury upgrades, including an elevator.

Many of Mosher’s improvements remain on the property today. Owners will acquire 300 acres of avocado, 50 acres of cherimoya and the property’s original greenhouses.

And if that’s not enough, Rancho Dos Pueblos offers an idyllic location along the Pacific Ocean and is bordered by Los Padres National Forest.
—Lauren Varga

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