Real Estate Industry News

Among the biggest housing trends of 2020 was a shift towards properties offering flexible living space. In this week’s look at the luxury real estate market, I took a look at Forbes Global Properties to see how much and what types of flexible space around $7 million buys in Cancún, Hollywood Hills and Manhattan. Here’s a closer look:

Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Located in the Zona Hotelera district of Cancún, an island stretch full of high-end hotels and white-sand beaches, this contemporary residence is equal part a home as it is a piece of art. Designed by noted Mexican architect Sergio Orduña, the showplace called “Casa EnMar” draws the eyes upward with its clean lines, sharp angles and walls of floor-to-ceiling windows that look out towards the sea. Natural materials such as marble, stone, wood and steel feature prominently in the striking design.

Features: Angled walls and columns enlarge and elevate the living spaces, particularly in the main living area, where a steel-and-glass walkway crosses over the triple-height space. Custom doors and furniture pieces were designed to fit the home’s asymmetric rooms. Within some 9,350 square feet of living space are six bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a chef’s kitchen, formal rooms and a dazzling wet bar.

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Other perks: The vaulted lobby area flows through glass doors and onto a tropical wooden deck that crosses over the swimming pool before ending at a cantilevered balcony perched above the ocean. Palm trees dot the manicured property, which incorporates multiple terraces, a sitting area and a garden. White-sand beaches and the Caribbean Sea sit just beyond the pool area.

Price: $6.9 million

Represented by: Thomas Glabman and Trista Rullan, Hilton & Hyland


Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California

Located near Runyon Canyon in the Hollywood Hills, this fresh contemporary residence with Mediterranean notes pairs a wealth of outdoor living space with mountain and city views that come alive at night. A recent renovation by Studio Tim Campbell enhanced the living spaces with a range of new materials while introducing imported French oak floors and Euroline steel doors and windows.

Features: The four-bedroom, five-bathroom home has been polished from top to bottom. Vaulted and beamed ceilings top a massive open-concept area consisting of a chef’s kitchen, living room and dining room. Outside, resort-like grounds incorporate a swimming pool and spa, expansive decking and a trellis-topped outdoor kitchen/bar.

Other perks: The home’s west wing was reconfigured to include a guest house and a state-of-the-art home theater. There’s also a wood-clad and sound-proofed recording studio for creating your own musical uprising.

Price: $6.999 million

Represented by: Jonathan Nash and Jamie Davis, Hilton & Hyland


West Village, Manhattan, New York

For those dreaming of terrace space in the heart of Manhattan’s West Village, look no further. This three-bedroom, four-bathroom penthouse crowning a six-story building features a planted-roof terrace with views of Tribeca, the Freedom Tower and West Village.

Features: A light-filled living room with a wood-burning fireplace and built-in bookshelves is at the heart of the penthouse. East and west-facing windows bring natural light into the living and dining room areas. In the windowed eat-in kitchen, a blue accent wall provides a visual contrast to milky-white countertops and cabinetry.

Other perks: Flexibility in the floor plan is a significant plus. The primary bedroom incorporates a large walk-in closet and two additional closets in addition to an expanded en-suite bathroom. One of the two other bedrooms has a wood-burning fireplace and French doors that open to the terrace, making it a prime candidate to be converted into an office/study.

Price: $7 million

Represented by: Tania Isacoff Friedland and Allison Chiaramonte, Warburg Realty