Don Abbey spent a combined $200 million and 18 years to construct his two dream homes, according to Forbes.

And now he's selling them both, for $78 million a piece.

Abbey, of The Abbey Co., is a commercial real estate mogul who buys, leases, and manages buildings. He started his business in 1990 in California.

But he's a 33-year veteran of the industry, according to the company's website. While Abbey just handles commercial real estate professionally, we're sure that has given him a leg up on the residential side as well.

Abbey's luxury properties are located in Bradbury, Calif. and Shelter Island, Montana.

Forbes reports Abbey never built the homes with the intent of selling, but now wants to downsize to something "closer to 20,000 square feet."

The Bradbury mansion is 47,000 square feet, sitting on eight acres, with five bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. 

The Shelter Island estate is 24,000 square feet, with five bedrooms and eight bathrooms.

Now tour Abbey's Shelter Island estate >

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"Nashville" fans rejoice.

Now is your chance to buy the pad featured in ABC's TV show as fictional character Rayna James' home.

The house is very real, actually located in Nashville, and is on sale for $19.5 million, according to Trulia.

The house is massive, spanning 20,500 square feet. It has six bedrooms, eight full bathrooms, and three half baths.

Welcome to Page Road in Nashville.

The current owners are asking $950 per square foot.

Mark Harrison of Adkisson/Harrison designed the home and it was built by Will Andrews.

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After putting his beachfront home in Malibu on the rental market earlier this year for $150,000 a month, Leonardo DiCaprio has decided to unload it for good.

He just listed the mansion for $23 million, according to real estate blogger The Real Estalker.

The property has three separate buildings: a main house, loft space, and guest house. It's one of two homes the actor owns in Malibu. He bought it in 2002, paying $6 million.

The house is on prime Malibu real estate.

With amazing beach access.

And an awesome beachfront deck.

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Real estate listing service RedFin hosted a "Most Iconic Homes In America" campaign this fall, corresponding with the presidential election.

The company narrowed down a list of three iconic homes in 19 regions that they felt embodied the feel, culture, architectural style, and surroundings of those areas.

Readers then voted, and the winners were announced yesterday.

The contest oddly left out New York City.

ATLANTA: This traditional home, with four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, is on sale for $277,900. Atlanta is known for its heavy influence of American architects and Victorian homes.

Source: Redfin

AUSTIN: Spanish style heavily influences Texas, and this hacienda really fits the bill. The home, which spans 9,000 square feet, and has six bedrooms and eight bathroom, is on sale for $3.495 million.

Source: RedFin

BALTIMORE: This Cape Cod-style home is on sale for $384,900. It looks like it belongs right on the Baltimore harbor. The house has four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms.

Source: RedFin

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"This is great, come Christmas time I'll get $1,000 bonuses from each of the residents," a former doorman at 740 Park Avenue said.

After all, the building houses more billionaires than any other building in America.

But he thought wrong.

In the new documentary "Park Avenue: Money, Power & the American Dream,” a former doorman of 740 Park Avenue, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed some of the quirks of the building's residents and what it was really like to work there.

The documentary airs on PBS Nov. 12.

"The building is only 31 units, so it's not a lot of residents," the doorman says in the documentary. "But they are high tempered and you need a thick skin to work there. Some are detestable people and they are billionaires."

The doorman revealed:

• David Koch was the worst tipper. The doorman would load his two vans every weekend, when Koch was heading to the Hamptons, and he never tipped him.

• Some residents would only give a $50 check as a Christmas bonus.

• You need to know someone in the business to get a doorman job there.

• You had to know which residents liked to open their own door, whose car belonged to whom, which person sat on the passenger side, and who sat in the back seat.

• Steve Schwarzman, CEO of the Blackstone Corporation, has 25 Christmas trees delivered to his apartment for his annual Christmas party — one for every room of his home.

• The children are all friendly and have special high-fives with the doormen. When they reach about 12 years old, they start ignoring the building's help and start "walking like their fathers.""It's like their parents sat them down and said 'Look this is your life, you are a billionaire. They are not your friends,'" the doorman says.

"One mishap, and you're fired," the doorman says in the film.

740 Park Avenue, on the corner of 71st Street, is currently home to the likes of David Koch, Steve Schwarzman, Ex-Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain, and Vera Wang. The storied building was constructed in 1929 by the grandfather of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

"Park Avenue" is a film directed by muckraking documentary vet Alex Gibney and is inspired by Michael Gross, author of a book about the rich and famous residents of 740 Park Ave.

Now go inside 740 Park Avenue >

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So, you've been pining over a photo of a bedroom or living room you saw in a magazine or on a design blog, but you're not sure how to translate that into your own space.

Ashlina Kaposta, an interior decorator and the blogger behind the The Decorista, gave us some tips on how to design a own room based on that photo you cut out for inspiration.

• Pick three things you like in the photo and emulate just those items. Choose the end table, the lamp, and the wall art. Or it can be the bedding, throw pillow, and wall color. This instantly gives the feel of redecorating, while keeping your core furniture in place.

• Remember what you actually use in your current space day-to-day, and make sure that's incorporated into the re-design.

• There's always a way to do it for less. Target, TJ Maxx, and Home Goods have "great sections with designer items and tend to carry what you see in the magazines," Kaposta said. 

"All of those things really make a difference, and just three accessories from the photo will help remind you of it. So then you have a home from a magazine that's really yours," she said.

DON'T MISS: How An Ex-AOL Sales Rep Turned Her Food And Fashion Blog Into A Book Deal

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Donald Trumprecently announced the launch of a luxury residential real estate firm, Trump International Realty.

What does The Donald know about the world of residential real estate?

Aside from running some of the best-known apartment buildings in the country, he also owns an impressive personal portfolio of homes from Manhattan to Palm Beach.

Donald Trump calls Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue "home" the majority of the time. Trump Tower is a 68-story skyscraper, and Trump sleeps in the penthouse.

Source: Trump

Trump's penthouse has a gold- and diamond-covered door, an indoor fountain, a painted ceiling, and an ornate chandelier.

Source: Refinery 29

During an episode of Trump's realty show "The Apprentice," he allowed the show's contestants to visit his home. They were in awe, to say the least. Check out the video below.

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A property perfect for any entertainment mogul just hit the market for $6.9 million. 

The 12,000-square-foot custom-made residence in Camarillo, Calif. has a recording studio and space to fit about 300 people comfortably for a party.

Don Boehm, of Estate Design and Construction Inc, started building the ornate property in 2007. He moved in the next year, and has enjoyed the perks of a spa, recording studio, and a massage parlor within his home.

The home, better known as Villa Boehm, sits on 2.75 acres of land. It has five bedrooms, and six bathrooms.

"The first thing you notice when you enter is the grandness," said Janet Caminite, the listing agent on the property. "The home has a lot of unique stone and mosaic tiling. All of the wood that is in the house is hand cared, and Don (Boehm) did the crown molding himself."

Welcome to Villa Boehm. The current owner, Don Boehm, is selling because he has ideas for a new project and home to build.

"Even though it was built in 2008, the homes I do have a very old-world style, but new-world technology," Boehm said.

The ceilings have mosaics on them.

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Health care mogul Vivek Garipalli has been identified as the controversial buyer of Tory Burch's Hamptons mansion, the New York Post is reporting.

Garipalli bought Burch's pad for $11 million, significantly less than the $22.5 million Burch purchased the home for from her ex-husband Chris Burch.

The $11 million selling price got Burch's neighbors, such as David Koch and Calvin Klein, Leon Black, Ambassador Clifford Sobel, and Rachael Ray, up in arms, worrying that selling price would hurt the value of their respective homes. Their homes range in value from $30 to $50 million.

Garipalli, co-owner of Bayonne Medical Center, plans to rip down Burch's home, which sits on 4.5 acres. The Post reports he's planning to build a 7,100-square-foot home in its place.

Now see how Tori Burch created a $2 billion empire in less than a decade >

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After a slight price cut, buyers are finally interested in a loft apartment in the TriBeCa building that Jay-Z and Beyonce live, according to the New York Post.

The two-bedroom, two-bathroom pad was originally listed for $3.495 million. But now that it's been slashed to $2.9 million, the apartment has received multiple bids from prospective buyers.

The condo, inside 195 Hudson Street, spans 2,293 square feet, has 12-foot ceilings, a raised living room, and two office nooks.

Jay-Z moved into the building in 2004, when he bought an 8,300-square-foot apartment for $6.85 million.

May the best bidder win.

DON'T MISS: A TriBeCa Penthouse With Striking Views Is On Sale For $16.5 Million

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The developers behind luxury residential buildings 15 Central Park West and the new 18 Gramercy Park building are at it again.

Zeckendorf Development, in partnership with Global Holdings, today announced a new luxury residential tower at 50 United Nations Plaza.

The tower will be the first residential building in the United States designed by Foster + Partners, a London-based architectural firm.

The 87-unit building will be at 46th Street and First Avenue. The tower will be 44 stories tall and be completed in 2014.

Now tour the inside of the new 18 Gramercy Park building >

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New York City is becoming a place where you're either very rich or very poor.

And in the coming years, the super rich will be moving to Midtown — the city's up-and-coming "Billionaire's Belt," as author Michael Gross calls it.

Gross, the author of 740 Park and Unreal Estate, said he had seen an uptick in the number of billionaires flocking to luxury buildings in the 57th Street and 59th Street corridors to the southern corner of Central Park, along to the Bloomberg building and 432 Park Avenue.

"This neighborhood never really defined itself before," Gross told Business Insider. "Now, it's becoming the new 'billionaire's belt.'"

Luxury towers of note in the neighborhood include One57 (made famous by the "dangling crane" during Hurricane Sandy), 15 Central Park West, the Timer Warner Center, and the Metropolitan Tower. And it will soon be home to Nordstrom's flagship NYC department store. Fifty-seventh Street and Central Park South form the “spine” of this belt.

"It's not uptown, but it's not downtown," Gross said, which prompted him to nickname the region.

"This area has the potential, in the next few years, to become the richest neighborhood in the country," he added. 

DON'T MISS: A Sneak Peek Inside One57, The Super Expensive Apartment Building Being Built Right Now

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House flipping’s status as an aspirational American pastime took some hits during the recession but, like disco or SUVs, it has never gone extinct. On the contrary, it is back with a vengeance. Cable TV shows glorify expert flippers and infomercials flog seminars for novice investors eager to dive into this risky market.

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Several New York City apartments have hit the market with eye-popping asking prices near $100 million in the past few months.

But that's nothing compared to the most expensive homes currently for sale in the United Kingdom, which include a $484 million home in London's Hyde Park neighborhood.

With One Cornwall Terrace recently hitting the market for $160 million, we decided to take a look at the most expensive properties currently for sale in London.

For $42.3 million, live in this detached Italian villa in Holland Park, London. The home has nine bedrooms and eight bathrooms.

Click here to see more about the house >

For $46.3 million, this nearly 9,000-square-foot home in London can be yours. The home has seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms.

Click here to see more photos of the home >

For $47.9 million, buy this five-bedroom apartment in Kensington, London. The duplex apartment has a porter, gym, and pool.

Click here to see more photos of the apartment >

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A 40,000-square-foot mansion with 28 bedrooms in Bel Air, Calif. is rumored to be on sale for $150 million, according to real estate blogger The Real Estalker.

It doesn't have an official listing, but is reportedly being shopped around by a high-end agent. And the seller is unknown, but it's supposedly a Saudi prince.

In 2011, the home was featured as the "Above and Beyond Ultimate Home" in the Robb Report.The $150 million price tag puts the home among the most expensive homes currently on the market. 

The home sits on 1.5 acres of land and has a roof terrace and a barbecue terrace. It has a 180-degree view of the skyline and the water.

The mansion was built by Richard Landry of Los Angeles–based Landry Design Group. Landry's creations have won the "Ultimate Home" award two years back-to-back.

DON'T MISS: A Goliath Mansion In London Just Hit The Market For $160 Million

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While parts of the East Coast are still recovering from Hurricane Sandy, one Hamptons homeowner thought it was the right time to list his waterfront home.

The Southampton mansion was listed for $30 million just a week and a half after Sandy ravaged the shorelines, according to Curbed.

It appears that this is the first waterfront property in the Hamptons to be listed since the hurricane.

The house has five bedrooms, 5.5 baths, and spans 7,000 square feet.

The listing photos look gorgeous, but one has to wonder if Sandy really did no damage to this house.

DON'T MISS: 10 Awesome Islands You Can Buy Right Now

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A 6,200-square-foot duplex in the Trump Park Avenue building is on sale for $25.9 million.

The condo has six bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms. The building is pre-war, with a doorman, a gym, and a concierge.

Michelle Griffith with Trump International Realty has the listing.

Welcome to 502 Park Avenue.

The apartment has solid oak floors.

The chef's kitchen is set in white marble.

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The young, social-media crowd wants to take in design and decorating inspiration almost exclusively in one way: through photos.

As magazines once saw readers head to the internet, now design bloggers are losing their audiences to Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram, sites made for photo-sharing.

But some design bloggers have figured out a way to rise above the fray and attract traffic because of their clear focus, beautiful photography, and DIY posts.

"Readers don't want to communicate online the same way anymore," said Grace Bonney, the founder of Design Sponge. "We try to engage readers on Pinterest, and a select few still want to have a longer conversation about design. But it's mainly about great photos."

"Design Sponge is dedicated to fresh, handmade design and inspiration, and making your home look more like your personality," she said.

The blog, which has been around since 2004, has around 80,000 hits and day and focuses on home tours, DIY projects, recipes, and makeovers. Bonney, who is based in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, said she gets a lot of her inspiration from Greenpoint markets, and more recently, student designers.

Ashlina Kaposta, better known as The Decorista, posts multiple photos in one post of cool visuals she sees each day or the best-of-the-best interior design she wants to share with her readers.

"I am definitely a nerd and read every marketing and branding book out there. At that time I was laid off so I just devoured videos online on how to brand yourself," she said. "If you are producing consistent content that is focused and has a vision, that will help you stick out."

Kaposta was later recruited by an Los Angeles interior design firm. But when she came to New York on a business trip to help decorate Courtney Love's new apartment, she decided not to leave. She now runs her blog and an e-decorating business.

After reviewing analytics, Kaposta saw that readers weer spending more time on her Pinterest board, which was taking away from time spent on her blog. But she considers it all part of her brand. The Decorista has about 11,000 unique visitors a day.

"What sets my blog apart is I don't use a lot of words," said Kaposta, who is based in Manhattan. "I use images and it's very visually friendly. I think there's something to that; people used to read a lot more, but now are inspired by photos."

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Prudential Douglas Elliman executive vice president Christopher Poore wouldn't want to be living or selling in any other period in New York City more than right now.

The New York Daily News asked Poore, "In which era in NYC history would you want to be selling or living?"

He responded:

Right now. The market is hot as supply is limited. New development is also on the rise. It is truly an exciting time.

Poore is one of the city's top real estate agents, so he has his thumb on the pulse of what's happening in the world of New York City real estate.

And it's on track for its best year ever.

"Without question, 2012 is shaping up to be the best year in Luxury Sales ever recorded," Donna Olshan, of Olshan Realty, told Business Insider last week.

Poore told the Daily News to keep an eye on Hell's Kitchen and NoMad (north of Madison Square Park). He said the two are emerging neighborhoods with "burgeoning culinary and shopping scenes," and that  new Developments are also popping up in the areas.

DON'T MISS: A Duplex At Trump Park Avenue Is On Sale For $25.9 Million

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Even if you don't believe in lucky numbers, you should remember how many people do.

WSJ's Sanette Tanaka compiles some amazing statistics about the role of lucky numbers in real estate listings:

• In Asian neighborhoods, where the number 8 is associated with wealth, 20 percent of listings contain that lucky number, compared to only 4 percent of listings in non-Asian neighborhoods.
• In the Bible Belt, homes are 27 percent more likely to include 316 in the listing price, a tribute to John 3:16 in the New Testament. Strangely enough the number 666, which is associated with the devil, is also 39 percent more common in the Bible Belt.
• The number 13 is 15 percent less likely to appear in a listing, than 12 and 14 throughout the country.
• 55 percent of luxury listings have the digit 5 in the price, because humans associated 5 as the middle between 1 and 10, we think it's in the middle between a bargain and expensive.

Chinese seem to pay the most attention to lucky numbers, according to the WSJ. They also avoid unlucky numbers, like 4, which sounds like their word for death.

DON'T MISS: Some Real Estate Agents Will Go To Crazy Extremes To Sell A House

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