Oprah Winfrey

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In 2018, Oprah Winfrey purchased a scenic waterfront estate located in rural Orcas Island off the coast of Seattle. The real estate deal cost $8.3 million and was executed through an entity linked to her network. The media magnate reportedly purchased the property without visiting the home in person. After three years of ownership, the television host has decided to bid farewell to her island home as she reportedly lacks the time to maximize its usage. Recorded on Tuesday, Winfrey has officially sold her waterfront residence for $14 million in an off-market deal. Jen Cameron, vice president of Coldwell Banker Bain’s global luxury division, represented the buyer in the deal who is listed under the title of Lophodytes LLC. The billionaire public figure currently resides at her self-proclaimed Promised Land, a 70-acre ranch property located in Montecito, California. With an impressive real estate portfolio, Winfrey also owns homes in Telluride, Colorado and Maui, Hawaii.

Madroneagle Estate on Orcas Island spans 40 acres of lush landscape and features a 7,303-square-foot main house with four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. Decorative elements of the home consist of an eccentric copper and slate roof on the exterior and a luxuriously rustic cabin interior with finishes of rare, reclaimed wood. The picturesque property is perfect for entertaining as it offers a spacious living area with stone fireplace, kitchen with oversized center island and built-in pizza oven, and adjacent dining room. Other highlights of the reserved residence include a cozy library nook with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, game room, home office, wine cellar, and tasting room. Elsewhere on the estate rests a guesthouse located on a high cliff overlooking the private beach. With 2,948 square-feet, the guest space presents four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The exterior grounds of the island property highlight a sauna, pond, garden, hiking trails, and stream. The scenic estate comprises of two waterfront parcels and 3,000 feet of west-facing shoreline for spectacular sunset views.

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Ellen DeGeneres

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Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, are no strangers to the real estate business as they are frequently involved in purchasing, renovating, and selling homes. Since 2003, the talk show host has reportedly owned 20 properties. DeGeneres and de Rossi currently appear to be gravitating towards the Montecito beach town as they have bid farewell to their Beverly Hills mansion for $45 million, their last remaining property in Los Angeles. Within the past year, the celebrity duo purchased two separate properties in Santa Barbara. The newest addition to their real estate catalog is a petite bungalow style residence purchased at a price of $2.9 million. The nearby community is also home to other renowned names such as Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Ariana Grande, Orlando Bloom, Katy Perry, Oprah Winfrey and Rob Lowe.

A short distance from Butterfly Beach, DeGeneres and de Rossi’s newfound residence spans 1,691 square feet and less than an acre of land. The single-story, midcentury modern style home includes two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The humble abode highlights a seamless indoor-outdoor flow with glass doors and walls fitting for California. The sleek minimalist kitchen is equipped with stainless steel appliances, cherry wood cabinetry, and stone center island. The cooking area leads to a sun-drenched living room with fireplace. Down the hall, the primary suite is privately tucked away and offers a walk-in closet, Bali-esque bathroom with freestanding tub, and sliding glass doors leading to a spacious patio. The home also includes a second bedroom to accommodate guests. Stepping outside, the courtyard presents a fire pit, a serene fountain, and al fresco dining area for entertaining. The abundant lush landscape and exterior space offers room for a pool or guesthouse as noted in the listing.

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Not a hurricane storm surge, but rather a new generation of sun dwellers who will crash the shores of this private island paradise off Miami Beach when Palazzo del Sol—a lavish, new 10-story condominium—is completed in 2016.

Palazzo del Sol is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2016.

The condominium has unobstructed views of the Atlantic Ocean, Biscayne Bay, South Beach and downtown Miami.

After a seven-year construction hiatus (aside from renovation permits), Fisher Island is again open for business and its final land parcels are ready to beautify. Palazzo del Sol will showcase 47 contemporary luxury condos (ranging from 3,700- to 9,700-square feet) on 4.5 acres of prime land, with unobstructed views of the Atlantic Ocean, South Beach, Biscayne Bay, and downtown Miami. The condominium is perfectly situated on Government Cut, the channel entrance to Miami's harbor, where the bay meets the ocean—and where rudders hit the deep water.

Palazzo del Sol will likely be 10 stories (13 if you count rooftop pool, lobby and parking garage) with 47 luxurious residences.

Palazzo del Sol will feature five-star, white-glove amenities—a first for Fisher Island.

The project developer is former Fisher Island resident Heinrich von Hanau, chief executive officer of Fisher Island Holdings, who tasked Miami-based architect Kobi Karp and Swiss landscape designer Enzo Enea to design Palazzo del Sol as a "velvet rope reserve for the next wave of Fisher Island owners which will include private lush grounds and outdoor living spaces and exclusive five-star, white-glove services (private lobby, doormen, salon, massage, dedicated concierges, fur storage, nanny and medical services, customized golf carts, and indoor/outdoor aperitivo bar).” Other Palazzo del Sol designers are Augusto Busnelli, Alison Antrobus and Ruby Ramirez, and Pepe Calderin.

The development was primarily designed by Miami-based architect Kobi Karp and Swiss landscape designer Enzo Enea.

A rendering of one of the condo's pools.

Palazzo del Sol construction began last spring with pre-sales offered to existing Fisher Island residents who are seeking larger living spaces or newer units with modern top-of-the-line European finishes. The condominium will showcase the largest floor plans on Fisher Island to date, particularly outdoor space where many units will average from 1,700- to 12,800-square feet. Building residents will also enjoy a rooftop pool, poolside cabanas, a negative edge heated pool and an Enea-designed outdoor relaxation area already nicknamed "Central Park."

Fisher Island's Palazzo del Sol will sit at the channel entrance to Miami harbor, where the bay meets the ocean.

A rendering of a specially-designed relaxation area tentatively called "Central Park."

All residences will be elegant, featuring massive outdoor terraces, private elevators, 10-foot interior ceilings (penthouses will offer 15-foot ceilings), Boffi kitchens and baths, Gaggenau appliances, Dornbracht faucets, Duravit plumbing fixtures, and Lualdi doors. The property will also offer amenities such as a private movie theater, a state-of-the-art fitness center designed by the Wright Fit, a Kidville-designed playroom and even charging stations for electric cars (do limo drivers drive electric cars?).

Current Fisher Island residents get first dibs at condos in Palazzo del Sol. It will be the newest and luxurious residential development on the island.

“Our vision for the final development on Fisher Island harmonizes with the community’s existing Mediterranean-inspired style, while taking into consideration the sensibilities and needs of the new era of buyers coming from the United States, Europe, Latin America, Russia, Asia and the Middle East,” said von Hanau, who, according to the official fact sheet, secured power broker Dora Puig to head sales along with an elite team of brokers internationally renowned for selling Miami's highest-priced trophy penthouses with private rooftops and single-family estates.

Condos range from $5 million for three-bedroom residences to a $32 million penthouse, according to Curbed. Current plans call for no more than six units per floor, but von Hanau said in a press release that some early buyers purchased multiple units with the intent to combine them into larger residences. According to The Real Deal, $45 million in financing has been secured for Palazzo del Sol, which is reportedly the first of two planned 10-story buildings (13 floors counting the lobby, underground parking and rooftop pool).

Fisher Island offers lush landscaping, including a championship golf course.

Fisher Island Club's nine-hole, par 35 golf course.

Fisher Island is a 216-acre island community that likely offers the most exclusive amenities in southeastern United States—including Fisher Island Club, its recently $66-million renovated five-star resort; acclaimed Spa Internazionale; a P.B. Dye-designed nine-hole oceanside golf course; a world-class tennis center with 18 courts (two grass, two hard court and 14 clay); two deep-water, surge-proof marinas that accommodate vessels up to 250 feet; the restored Vanderbilt Mansion; a private beach club (coincidentally called The Beach Club); and over a mile of pristine white sand beaches. The island enclave is accessible to Miami Beach via yacht or auto ferry in merely seven minutes.

Aerial view of Fisher Island, the exclusive and most private of paradises.

Fisher Island has a deep water marina for yachts, where slips are said to cost at least $1 million.

Approximately 675 families live on Fisher Island with 50% representing the United States and the 50% representing over 45 other countries. Less than 30% of residents live on Fisher Island year-round as peak season is typically November 15 through April 15th. On Fisher Island, exclusivity and privacy are as critical as running water, swimming pools, and sunblock. Among those calling Fisher Island home are billionaires, chief executives, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, international dignitaries, celebrities, athletes, entertainers, musicians, models, etc.

While Fisher Island doesn't reveal information about its residents, media reports have revealed some prominent current or former residents—including media magnate Oprah Winfrey, actress Julia Roberts, former tennis players Andre Agassi and Boris Becker, and erstwhile hockey star Pavel Buré.

Fisher Island out was created out of sand and mangroves when a channel was cut through the bay, as ordered by Congress.

Miami Beach developer Carl Fisher, for whom Fisher Island is named, bought the island in 1919.

Fisher Island was created in 1906 when the U.S. Congress ordered construction of Government Cut, which opened a more accessible shipping lane for commerce between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. This channel across the bay developed the island out of sand, coconut palms and mangroves. Fisher Island is named for Miami Beach developer Carl Fisher, who purchased the land in 1919 and quadrupled the island’s land mass. Now the seemingly last parcel of land up for sale again—this time in a luxurious building named for a sun palace.

But here, where privacy is paramount, you'll never find out where the Fisher king—or queen—resides... unless you count Oprah's residency.

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Winfrey paid $5.6 million for the sixth floor home back in 2006. Just after the purchase, she decided that she would rather stay in her duplex condominium just a few blocks from her new purchase.

In mid-2008 she listed the property for $6 million and removed it from the market in early 2009. Since then, she has been renting the property for $15,000 a month.

Since Winfrey now divides much of her time between California and Hawaii, she re-listed the home in May at a substantial loss from the purchase price-- just $2.8 million. That's half of her original purchase price.

The property went under contract a short time later.

The 4,600 square foot unit features a solarium, a library and a formal dining room. It also has a 1,241 square foot master bedroom with his and her bathrooms.

Oprah still makes her primary residence in a $50 million compound in Montecito, CA.

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Source: Chicago Tribune
Photo: Huffington Post

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Winfrey never really lived in the property, which was listed last week for $2.8 million. She bought it for $5.6 million back in 2006 while she stayed in another duplex condo just a few blocks away.

The Streeterville co-op features three bedrooms, three full baths and two half-baths, a library, solarium and a formal dining room. It measures just over 4,000 square feet and is one of 13 properties in the nearly 100 year-old building.

Over 2008 and 2009, Winfrey had listed the property for $6 million, which was roughly what she paid for the unit, and then tried to rent it out for $15,000 a month.

It's one of several properties owned by Winfrey. Despite having homes in the Windy City, she now spends most of her time in California and Hawaii. Her primary home is a $50 million dollar estate in Montecito, CA.

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