Friday, June 8, 2012

"Home Once Owned by Gianni Versace Lists for $125 Million"

From the WSJ's Private Properties:

A Miami Beach, Fla., estate owned by Versace goes on the market for $125 million. 
Lauren Schuker has details on The News Hub. Photo: Reuters.
Casa Casuarina, the Miami Beach, Fla., house once owned by late fashion designer Gianni Versace, is on the market for $125 million.

Known as Casa Casuarina, the 10-bedroom, 11-bathroom house overlooks the ocean. Mr. Versace bought the home and its adjacent lot in 1992 for just under $10 million and then invested another $33 million in the property, adding a 6,100-square-foot south wing, a 54-foot-long mosaic-tiled pool lined with 24-karat gold, a mosaic-covered courtyard and frescoes on the home's walls and ceilings. He was killed outside the home in July 1997. Peter Loftin, a telecom entrepreneur, purchased the property in 2000 for $20 million. After using it as a residence for several years, Mr. Loftin turned the home into a boutique hotel with a restaurant and opened it in late 2009 as the Villa by Barton G. ...MORE, including video.