Unique Homes Blog

ON LOCATION

West Virginia:
The Greenbrier Sporting Club

The natural beauty of the mountains and rivers of West Virginia: it’s a history dating back to 1778 and a lifestyle that embraces the great outdoors. A stroll through the greenery of The Greenbrier Sporting Club is all it takes for buyers to fall in love.

Just ask John Klemish, who is the community’s adviser to the chair and broker in charge. In his 28 years in the business, he’s “never seen a finer community.”

“We have history without peer and amenities like no other,” he explains. “There are 55 different amenities that members can avail themselves to. We have everything — sporting, four swimming pools, 12 restaurants, room service. It’s endless.”

With 6,500 acres of riverfront, a Tom Fazio-designed golf course and equestrian trails “that go on for hundreds of miles,” Greenbrier offers the ideal lifestyle for the outdoor adventurer, Klemish says.

“If anyone’s bored here, I don’t know where they can go,” he jokes.

In 2011, Greenbrier has seen tremendous success, averaging one sale every 6 days. Klemish affirms that despite the downturn, the community “found the bottom in May of 2009 and we’ve been off to the races since.” Eighty-one percent of the community’s sales come from walk-ins, he notes.

Real estate at Greenbrier is offered in myriad options: homesites range anywhere from $250,000 to $2 million, depending on the size; homes run from $2 million to $6 million. Although the community does not set minimum square footage, they do have a maximum limit, but it’s only because Greenbrier residents care very deeply about their natural surroundings, Klemish says.

“We don’t want to be cutting down every tree. We want to protect the integrity of the land,” he says.

Buyers can choose from 15 neighborhoods within Greenbrier. Those seeking a private retreat with spectacular views might choose The Ridges, an area of 127 homesites nestled into Greenbrier Mountain; conversely, Greenbrier Village offers 34 unique villas at the base of the mountain.

GOING GLOBAL
Dominican Republic

Lawrence Citarelli came to the Dominican Republic looking to buy an oceanfront lot to build a single-family villa. Today, he’s developing a 60-unit luxury resort property.
Scheduled to begin construction in 2012, Cristal Beach Resort in Cabrera, Dominican Republic, offers mountain views at its back and the Atlantic Ocean and soft sand beaches to its front. “I was all over Latin America,” says Citarelli, developer and president of Cristal Beach. “When I landed in the Dominican Republic, I was enamored with the people, culture and proximity.”

Structured unlike most developments, construction will not begin at Cristal Beach until 28 of the 60 total units are reserved. At press time, the project was nine units away from its goal. “We don’t start until we know we won’t stop,” says Citarelli.

Resort activities will include championship golf, watersports, eco-tourism and two infinity pools. The residences will showcase penthouse suites as well as two- and three-bedroom layouts. While all residences will be furnished with custom cabinetry, imported tile flooring, stainless-steel appliances and Italian granite countertops, the construction is built discretely into the natural surroundings.

“People can go back to being human — reconnecting with family and friends,” exclaims Citarelli. “It’s a place where people can decompress. It’s not 5th Avenue. There’s no neon lights, no modern architecture.”

Financially secure, income generating, environmentally correct and socially responsible, Cristal Beach Resort is 100-percent debt-free. Pre-construction prices range from below $500,000 to $1.17 million.

FABULOUS FINDS
DUO by Quintess Delivers Simple Pleasures

Four old friends sat around a center island catching up — sports teams, new jobs, vacation plans — one laugh after the other. The long-overdue conversation picked up in New York right where they had left it last fall at a wedding in New Jersey, and was one of many cherished simplicities experienced through DUO by Quintess.

DUO is one of three clubs available through The Quintess Collection — a member-driven destination club with access to more than 100 luxury residences in 40 locales. “In launching The Quintess Collection, we set out to be more than a luxury, we set out to be a necessity — ensuring that each member takes more vacations and spends more quality time with the people most important to them,” says Pete Estler, founder and CEO of Club Holdings, LLC, the company responsible for developing Quintess.

The Quintess Collection’s newest club, DUO, offers residences worth an average of $2 million and is ideal for members seeking a more intimate escape. Membership fees begin at $59,000, with annual dues of $17,150 for 21 nights.

While occupying a DUO penthouse in Times Square, New York, our destination host arranged an in-home chef-prepared dinner for two. The center island, which served as a gathering place for laughs with friends the night before, transformed into a quaint seating arrangement for my husband and I to enjoy a quiet dinner. At the end of our meal, dessert was served as fireworks illuminated the sky above Times Square. Our view, through floor-to-ceiling windows, summarized the unforgettable moments enjoyed through Quintess.

Add this to your social network: