Roxanne Downer – My Articles

At an increasing number of communities around the world, spa-going is now spa living.

A spa residential community has more to offer than merely access to spa services close to home. Whether it’s an apartment complex or a suburban enclave of timeshare condos, an urban high-rise or a rural villa, spa residential communities have a central common theme: They’re dedicated to integrating spa concepts—such as healthful eating, medical supervision, life coaching, and organized athletic activities—into multiple aspects of residents’ lives. Read the rest of this entry »

Greenhouse Effect: At the new wave of eco-friendly seaside communities, the coast is definitely clear.

It’s not easy being green for the man of means. With Al Gore polishing his Nobel Prize and the History Channel airing episodes about the tsunamis and the global fireball that might result if the planet doesn’t get its act together soon, we’ve all gotten the point about reducing our carbon footprint. It’s just that some of us start out with bigger feet than others. You likely already own a Prius and carry your groceries home from Whole Foods in chic canvas bags.
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Property for Sale, Four Ecosystems: Forget a private island. What you need is a place like this.

It’s a rare country that can lay claim to more than 650 varieties of birds, a breed of nearly endangered wolves and its own subspecies of jaguar. So what would you say about a single address that can? Located on the edge of the Pantanal wetlands in central Brazil, Fazenda Santo Antonio do Paraiso is a 400-square-mile ranch that encompasses four distinct ecosystems, along with two rivers — the Piquiri and the Itiquira — that surround the property like a moat. With six landing strips on-site, it’s also remarkably accessible. And it could all be yours for $50 million.
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Paradise Found: At these new super-exclusive Caribbean hideaways, you never have to worry about the secret getting out.

Capital Investments: Survey says, these are the year’s strongest buys.

The beauty of investing your bonus check in luxury real estate is that — unlike with, say, a Bugatti Veyron — you can actually live in this impulse buy. (OK, technically you could live in the Bugatti, but just imagine the leg cramps!) And our survey reveals that the habitat traders most long to inhabit is Ian Schragers’s second-ever residential property. Read the rest of this entry »

The Tip Sheet: A New York City landmark, an island getaway and Magnum’s crib vie for your attention. Read the rest of this entry »