Perhaps you can find it today by searching the real estate listings? Or perhaps it's not for sale but you'd still love to live there someday??

 

If so, show us a picture, a satellite view or a real estate listing of what is your dream home....

 

Here is a great home I would love to have:

 

http://615riverstonelanerichlandtwp-ven.howardhanna.com/

Wow, a $30M house? You know that means $1.6M alone could go to realtor, assuming they are the seller and buyer's agent. I'd love to be that realtor.

I think my Dream House would be a Cast Iron building in SoHo. If we're dreamin', I'd want the whole d@mn building which is a hard thing to get, even for the ultra-rich. Of course it would have a bad-ass roof deck, top of the line everything - inside. Biggest Jacuzzi I could find, workout room, wine cellar would be vast lol. I'd probably only use the top floor of it though and let whoever I know stay there whenever they want to vacation or if they need somwhere to crash. If I were a rich b@stard, I'd be a generous one :)

 

 

I'll take the one second from the right:

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/7h2Elv4XKIze7zJD3PDUxQ

 

From Bet's Gallery, (whoever he is) http://picasaweb.google.com/bretwillhoit

KJP,

Yeah, that one's a bit over-the-top and requires the income and/or bonus money of a Wall Street investment banker or Middle-Eastern Oil Sheik, to be within one's financial reach. Doubtful even run-of-the-mill Lottery jackpot winnings in the millions would get you close. I'm thinking billionaire kind of money rather than mere garden variety millionaire's. Difficult to imagine the kind of lifestyle one would have to maintain to reach that lofty level of luxury.

 

My actual dream home is grounded a bit more in reality. Since I cherish the architecture of the 19th century, I've found many suitable examples in Ohio and especially within the confines of Cincinnati. In fact, I have a personal "album" of suitable specimens and many are surprisingly affordable although most need some TLC. The "dream" part comes from transforming them from tired and faded back to beautiful and vibrant. Kind of like taking an old rusted classic hulk of an automobile and turning it back into a dazzling show car. Immensely satisfying on many levels. Most of the photos I have were either taken from real estate listings or the county auditor's site so I have to apologize for not reposting them. (I could perhaps post an address list)The reason I decided to reply was due to the notion of a "dream home" may mean different things to different people-mine just happens to be taking a faded old house with character, and then nicely restoring it back to a period appearance with suitable landscaping as well. The 1,200 acres in your dream home example would require quite a large staff to maintain, and then the property taxes??  To each his or her own. Good luck on getting your dream home someday.

I'm not really interested in mansions.

 

I'm still in love with this house: (I dream of having a real brick house one day)

 

But, even though it's not brick, and I have no idea what the inside looks like, the red house just says "home" to me:

 

edit to add: I suspect John S. and I are on the same page.

I think my Dream House would be a Cast Iron building in SoHo. If we're dreamin', I'd want the whole d@mn building which is a hard thing to get, even for the ultra-rich.

I'll take the one second from the right:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/7h2Elv4XKIze7zJD3PDUxQ

 

Very nice! However, for the sum of the realtor's commission on the SoHo example, you could buy a very similar building in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine or West End, totally renovate it with all the amenities you've enumerated, and then still likely have some money left over. Of course, in real estate it's always about location, location, location, and the OTR/West End are not up to SoHo standards, yet, but might be someday. There was a time when SoHo & Greenwich Village were not considered such prime real estate; quite the contrary back in the 1950's and 1960's. 

I'm not really interested in mansions.

 

I'm still in love with this house: (I dream of having a real brick house one day)

 

But, even though it's not brick, and I have no idea what the inside looks like, the red house just says "home" to me:

edit to add: I suspect John S. and I are on the same page.

 

JRC,

I agree, and I followed your fascinating thread on this wonderful house. (and the many others you looked at) I'm sorry it did not come through for you but with enough patience and effort, someday you'll find that architectural diamond in the rough and be able to transform it into your dreamhome. There are unfortunately way too many once fine homes with great architectural character slowing rotting away, not just in Ohio, but across the nation-what is badly needed are more people with vision possessing the ability to bring them back to their former glory. Many of the posh "dreamhomes" now being offered for sale at astronomical prices were once faded and seemed headed for oblivion until someone came along and cared enough to save them. Anyone who has looked comparatively at the materials and craftmanship of the past finds that such quality is hard to duplicate today, at any price. Besides, it's far "greener" to save and renovate an existing house rather than build yet another tract home way out in the sprawling suburbs. We may need part of that suburban land someday to grow food again; fertile land is a finite resource. Dreamhomes can be found in cities too.

I think my Dream House would be a Cast Iron building in SoHo. If we're dreamin', I'd want the whole d@mn building which is a hard thing to get, even for the ultra-rich.

I'll take the one second from the right:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/7h2Elv4XKIze7zJD3PDUxQ

 

Very nice! However, for the sum of the realtor's commission on the SoHo example, you could buy a very similar building in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine or West End, totally renovate it with all the amenities you've enumerated, and then still likely have some money left over. Of course, in real estate it's always about location, location, location, and the OTR/West End are not up to SoHo standards, yet, but might be someday. There was a time when SoHo & Greenwich Village were not considered such prime real estate; quite the contrary back in the 1950's and 1960's. 

 

I totally agree, but KJP asked for a specific house and if I had to choose one I'd go with a giant cast-iron building in SoHo. If I had the resources, I'd buy and restore half of OTR and West End if I could. I agree, it's an amazing neighborhood. I used to hang out there a lot and lived nearby in University Heights. I've never done house restoration but I can imagine how great it feels to do it. I've been on tons of tours and seen before-after examples. It's amazing to see places get turned around, especially in a place like OTR which has so much potential- which is now being realized :)

We may need part of that suburban land someday to grow food again; fertile land is a finite resource. Dreamhomes can be found in cities too.

 

I think suburban developers are going to be forced back into the city. They're reaching diminishing returns. Most of the land that's easy to develop has already been developed. They're facing increased site restraints and higher costs. They used to match their ideal plan to whatever site they wanted, now they have to take a piece of land, be creative and find its best and most profitable use. It's only a matter of time until even they have to specialize in brownfield, infill development or renovation.

right here

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/56626933@N00/1198205214/#

 

 

i figure if its really a dream.. give me a few million bucks and I could have this thing turning heads in the architecture world. I need a few years yet to get my degree though heh.

 

 

I would love to have a studio there, or break the top and add on a few floors. That kind of building can have me daydreaming for hours.

Here are some top contenders for me, if I had unlimited funds to hire someone to take care of the property, and in one case to make all the repairs it appears to need. All are on Forest Park Boulevard in Fort Wayne, adjacent to Lakeside Park:

 

#1 - This one is perfect Craftsman style with all the charm of a bungalow, but much more spacious than what I usually think of when someone says bungalow. I love the style, the colors, and the setting.

 

#2 - Big brick foursquare with a clay tile roof - Fort Wayne has a lot of foursquare houses of various sizes and materials, and some of them blend characteristics of Craftsman and Prairie. Several of the biggest and best exist on Forest Park Boulevard.

 

#3 - Designed in 1914 by Francis Barry Byrne, who apprenticed under Frank Lloyd Wright in his Oak Park Studio, this one intrigues me but it's low on the list because of the condition of its stucco and the maturity of the trees that shade it. Properly done, all the stucco probably would be removed and replaced, and most of the trees may be near the end of their lifespans. Even if everything were put into top condition, I'd need a staff of two or three people to maintain everything, drive me about in a 1932 Graham Blue Streak sedan and pamper me in the style to which I would like to become accustomed.

Hypothetically if I had millions upon millions, I wouldn't spend it all on one place. I'd rather have several modestly upscale condos (none larger than 2K sq. feet) in my favorite cities and a healthy membership in a fractional aircraft ownership program. That's just me :-)

I like your taste, Robert.  And I agree with MayDay.... if I had the money, my dream would be to have more than one place.  Definitely one in Cleveland as home is home, a beach house on the Pacific Ocean, and something modest with a LOT of land down south.  I suppose a little something in NYC as well.  Cleveland from April-June, hit the beach for the summer, back to Cleveland for the fall and early winter through the Holidays, and down south for January-March, with trips to NYC peppered in throughout the year. 

I agree with you guys. If we're talking about having the kind of money to get an ultra-expensive piece of real estate I'd much rather just get a bunch of smaller houses. Hts, why stop at the U.S. though? I think I'd get a house in Columbus or Cincinnati (my duel home-towns), NYC, Miami, maybe a place near Denver even though I've never been there, it just seems so close to everything if you're into outdoorsy stuff and nature. I'd also want a place in London, Paris and Tokyo. That would be sweeeet.That works perfectly for my personality. I get restless; I hate being in the same spot all the time. Plus, there's really only so much space in a house that a person needs.

I think my Dream House would be a Cast Iron building in SoHo. If we're dreamin', I'd want the whole d@mn building which is a hard thing to get, even for the ultra-rich. Of course it would have a bad-ass roof deck, top of the line everything - inside. Biggest Jacuzzi I could find, workout room, wine cellar would be vast lol. I'd probably only use the top floor of it though and let whoever I know stay there whenever they want to vacation or if they need somwhere to crash. If I were a rich b@stard, I'd be a generous one :)

How about Milwaukee instead of SoHo? Here's a nice cast iron building that's a short walk from the Amtrak station with several trains a day to Chicago.

 

 

right here

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/56626933@N00/1198205214/#

 

i figure if its really a dream.. give me a few million bucks and I could have this thing turning heads in the architecture world. I need a few years yet to get my degree though heh.

 

I would love to have a studio there, or break the top and add on a few floors. That kind of building can have me daydreaming for hours.

That's the old B&O Station in Cleveland. A fire took its clock tower and Mansard roof. I'd prefer to see it restored. I've seen an old photo of it as it originally was, but I can't locate the image now.

Well, since we're now talking about multiple places...  I wouldn't need to buy another place, I'd just stay at a luxury hotel in Florence, Italy for the 6 - 8 weeks in Ohio I find most miserable, during February and March.

A Victorian from the mining era in Crested Butte, Colorado

 

Ski all winter (40km of groomed trails!)

 

Mountain bike all summer

 

And spend those long, dark evenings in the honky-tonk

 

 

I think my Dream House would be a Cast Iron building in SoHo. If we're dreamin', I'd want the whole d@mn building which is a hard thing to get, even for the ultra-rich. Of course it would have a bad-ass roof deck, top of the line everything - inside. Biggest Jacuzzi I could find, workout room, wine cellar would be vast lol. I'd probably only use the top floor of it though and let whoever I know stay there whenever they want to vacation or if they need somwhere to crash. If I were a rich b@stard, I'd be a generous one :)

How about Milwaukee instead of SoHo? Here's a nice cast iron building that's a short walk from the Amtrak station with several trains a day to Chicago.

 

 

right here

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/56626933@N00/1198205214/#

 

i figure if its really a dream.. give me a few million bucks and I could have this thing turning heads in the architecture world. I need a few years yet to get my degree though heh.

 

I would love to have a studio there, or break the top and add on a few floors. That kind of building can have me daydreaming for hours.

That's the old B&O Station in Cleveland. A fire took its clock tower and Mansard roof. I'd prefer to see it restored. I've seen an old photo of it as it originally was, but I can't locate the image now.

 

Hey I love Milwaukee - nothing against it but SoHo has the largest collection of cast-iron buildings in the world! I know even SoHo was a dump at one time but it always had potential. Plus it's in NYC so that makes it more appealing to me.

 

I'd never buy a house for the house itself - I'd buy it for the surroundings because I love to walk. Unless of course I were restoring it to resell or something. That's a great find though. That building is fantastic. I think what I like about the cast iron stuff is that the buildings tend to be so rich in detail and have so many layers of fine detail. They pop out and look very 3 dimensional to me. 4th St. in Downtown Cincinnati has that great effect, I noticed.

http://pages.prodigy.net/karapaul/bo1.jpg

 

beautiful.  :-)

 

That's the old B&O Station in Cleveland. A fire took its clock tower and Mansard roof. I'd prefer to see it restored. I've seen an old photo of it as it originally was, but I can't locate the image now.

 

Here ya go. This view is from 1928 while the western approach bridge to Cleveland Union Terminal was still under construction. It provides a view of the B&O station, including its train shed. The Erie RR depot's train shed is visible at the far left...

 

 

A little closer view, this one from 1922 from Canal Road....

 

I have no problem finding my dream home, just the money to buy it.

 

1. http://www.trulia.com/property/3016023127-21540-Hillside-Dr-Topanga-CA-90290

 

2.  http://www.trulia.com/property/3010523971-1233-Greenleaf-Canyon-Rd-Topanga-CA-90290

 

On days when I'm sick of the noise from the neighbor kid's loud muffler Civic or the other neighbor's bass-thumpin Scion, this looks like a much better place to relax on the front porch with a beer on a nice summer evening:

 

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1-Davis-Island_Saint-George_ME_04860_1102549127?source=web

 

I guess I don't dream as big as some of you.  All I really want is to be able to keep our condo downtown and build an approx. 2500 sq ft Cape Cod-style house on a couple acres in someplace like Chagrin Falls.  I don't want gobs and gobs of space, but rather top-of-the-line kitchen and bathrooms and lots of woodwork.  Quality over quantity :).

I guess I don't dream as big as some of you. All I really want is to be able to keep our condo downtown and build an approx. 2500 sq ft Cape Cod-style house on a couple acres in someplace like Chagrin Falls. I don't want gobs and gobs of space, but rather top-of-the-line kitchen and bathrooms and lots of woodwork. Quality over quantity :).

 

That doesn't sound very urban :(

 

I guess I don't dream as big as some of you. All I really want is to be able to keep our condo downtown and build an approx. 2500 sq ft Cape Cod-style house on a couple acres in someplace like Chagrin Falls. I don't want gobs and gobs of space, but rather top-of-the-line kitchen and bathrooms and lots of woodwork. Quality over quantity :).

 

That doesn't sound very urban :(

 

 

It's not.  Hence the comment about keeping the condo.  The mister and I love the city and the country, but not the strip malls and track homes in between, hahaha.

Well, I was looking to find something to make a smart @ssy response, but I came across this, a project by students of Drexel University. I think when the project is said and done, it would be a pretty cool place to live

 

http://www.drexelsmarthouse.com/

God, so many to chose from.  Top of my list would be in Knightsbridge, London.

^Good call.

^Good call.

I love old homes (none of that tacky attached garage BS) and there are some beautiful homes in that are.  Kensington Gardens and all.