Saturday, July 26, 2003

By Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

The two-story, sunken great room looks out over the golf course's 15th fairway while the sumptuous master bath features a lighted glass-block whirlpool tub encased in granite.

	As well as this oak pub bar, the lower level of this Nevillewood home, which is listed for $1.495 million, also has a windowed billiard area and separate exercise room with steam bath. (John Beale, Post-Gazette)

The house's sprawling lower level boasts a home theater that seats 12 comfortably as well as a windowed billiard area, oak pub bar and a separate exercise room with steam bath.

At 9,000 square feet, the 6-year-old stone manse in Collier's Nevillewood development is among the largest properties currently on the market. With its $1.495 million price tag, it is also one of the more expensive -- and not just for the immediate neighborhood.

Though houses in New York and Hollywood routinely command seven (or even eight) figures when they go on the market, luxury houses -- or those in the million-dollar-plus range -- account for just a fraction of the real estate market in and around Pittsburgh. Of the 32,462 properties sold last year in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Washington and Westmoreland counties, only 25 sold for $1 million or more, according to RealSTATS, a South Side firm that collects real estate data for the industry.

But that number is growing faster than a new lawn in the spring. According to the West Penn Multi-List, 82 properties listing for $1 million or more are for sale, contingent or under contract in Allegheny and its surrounding counties.

The vast majority are exactly where you'd expect them: in long-established, wealthy neighborhoods such as Fox Chapel, Squirrel Hill, Sewickley and Shadyside. A few can be found in upscale golf communities like Nevillewood and Southpointe and a few more in fast-growing suburbs like Bell Acres, where a six-bedroom, 18,000-square-foot house on 16.5 acres is currently listed for $2.5 million.

Home set on 4 acres in Marshall also features a separate two-bedroom guest house, right, separated from the main house by a corridor. (Lake Fong, Post-Gazette)

In fact, $2 million-plus homes are becoming more common, too. Only one sold last year, a 10,000-square-footer in Sewickley Heights. This year, two are for sale in Upper St. Clair. An 8,000-square-foot, four-bedroom contemporary at 1240 Turnberry Drive is listed at $2.1 million and a six-bedroom, two-story French country manor at 2670 Merry Oak Lane is priced at $2.25 million.

Compared with them, the Nevillewood home looks like a bargain. The five-bedroom house at 1131 Meridian Drive was built by Glenn Wilner for former pro basketball player Doug West, who played nine NBA seasons for Minnesota and another three for Vancouver.

Along with several terraces overlooking the golf course, the house features a gourmet kitchen with bleached oak cabinetry and Thermador cook top, a 22- by 20-foot master bedroom with a vaulted ceiling and built-in four-poster bed, and a marble entry with a floating staircase.

"It's fabulous," says Jo Ann Robb, the Prudential Preferred Realty agent who is marketing the property. "There's a very contemporary feel."

Space to spare

A bit more expensive at $1.85 million is a six-bedroom Colonial in Timber Creek Farms in Marshall. Like most homes in this category, the 3-year-old house comes with all the expected accoutrements, such as a gourmet kitchen with oversized Schrock maple cabinets and twin Jenn-Air ovens, whole-house audio system, six-car garage and a 50- by 25-foot in-ground swimming pool with a diving board and slide and automatic cover.

It is also really, really big, with more than 10,000 square feet of living space that includes a 62- by 22-foot family room with 17-foot ceilings and two gas fireplaces, five full baths and a formal living room. Not enough space? A spiral staircase off the dining room twists its way to a 46- by 16-foot loft brightened by four skylights. Another set of steps leads to a 10- by 10-foot roof-top observatory.

The property, which is nestled on four acres of rolling farmland, also includes a two-bedroom, 1,280-square-foot guest house linked to the main house by a wide corridor.

	The two-story family room in the $1.85 million Marshall home boasts two gas fireplaces and a spiral staircase off the adjoining dining room. (Lake Fong, Post-Gazette)

But what really distinguishes it from other similarly priced homes, says RE/MAX Select Realtor Chris Murphy, is its enormous lower level. The finished game room measures a whopping 77 by 22 feet and includes a custom oak bar with seating for 10. There is also a 28- by 22-foot home gym with state-of-the-art Vectra equipment, a card room and a hot tub room overlooking the pool area. For those who like to entertain (and if you can afford this house, you probably do) there is also a home theater with stadium-style seating for 24 people and a separate snack bar.

The bedrooms are smaller than you'd expect in a home this size. The master bedroom is a relatively tiny 19 by 13 feet but its master closet is a staggering 29 by 29 feet, enough space for even the biggest clothes- horse.

A longer sale

Such idiosyncrasies may be one of the reasons the Marshall home has been on the market for more than six months, twice as long as the industry average of 90 days. It comes as no surprise that big-ticket houses usually take longer than most to sell. That's particularly true now amid a struggling economy. Who wants to worry about an astronomical mortgage payment or a five-figure tax bill when there's a chance you could be downsized or when your stock portfolio is still smarting over 9/11?

"We're seeing a little more caution in this price range," says Lisa Carr, the Howard Hanna agent who is marketing the $2.1 million house in Upper St. Clair. "It's more of a wait-and-see attitude."

But even when the Dow is booming, the business of selling luxury real estate requires special skills. Not only can it be difficult to find comparables on which to base the price, but also sellers (and their agents) have to be incredibly patient, often for a year or longer.

"Any property in the upper range involves a more targeted market," says Helen Hanna Casey, president of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services. "It's finding who the potential buyers are and figuring out how to go after them."

Whose dream home?

Another obstacle Realtors can face once a property gets into a certain price range is the "custom" factor. When someone is spending more than $1 million on a home, says Robb, he or she tends to want something with his or her own stamp on it. So while that designer kitchen or swim-up bar in the Olympic-sized swimming pool is sure to impress, in effect it really represents someone else's dream. Why not build and get everything exactly the way you want it?

It's important to come up with a custom marketing plan that will make the property stand out to a select group of prospective buyers. Knowing that the local market is limited, agents must also do what they can to attract buyers outside the area, says Carr. Sometimes that means affiliating the listing with an organization like Christie's Great Estates or Sotheby's International Realty.

High-end properties also require more direct mailings, typically with full-color, oversized postcards, as well as advertising in upscale publications. In addition, agents often receive special training.

"It's developing an awareness," says Casey.

$2 million mansions

Howard Hanna, is marketing both of the $2 million-plus homes in Upper St. Clair. The marble and cedar Turnberry property features a marble entry that opens into a wall of windows in the two-story living room; a sunken family room has a vaulted ceiling and is graced by a unique coral fireplace. There is also a heated in-ground pool with a separate cabana house. The 9-year-old house on Merry Oak sits on two acres and features six bedrooms, soaring ceilings, walls of windows and a four-season room with stone walls.

"These are the kind of homes that grab somebody, that someone sees and just falls in love with," says Carr. At least that's what she's hoping.

After all, she points out, "You don't need a $2 million home."

For more information about 132 Peppergrass Road, Marshall, call Chris Murphy at 724-776-5510, ext. 220. You can also view photos at www.remax.com (MLS# 468937). For more information on 1131 Meridian Drive, Collier, call Jo Ann Robb at 412-860-0336, or visit www.prudentialpreferred.com for a virtual tour (MLS# 457175). The Upper St. Clair properties, listed by Howard Hanna, can be viewed at www.howardhanna.com (MLS # 449716 and 452322). For more information, call Lisa Carr or Sue Highley at 412-833-3600, ext. 252 and 268.