Great Rock Auctions, a leading premium real estate auction firm, today announced the March 3rd auction of two Beacon Hill new construction luxury properties.
“For the first time in Boston real estate history, buyers have the opportunity to bid their price on two spectacular Beacon Hill homes,” said Jeremy Freid, Principal of Great Rock Auctions. “Buyers will bid with confidence using the transparency of Great Rock’s process to purchase these two outstanding properties.”

Current conditions in the luxury home market have left many properties on the market for extended lengths of time. Both Beacon Hill property owners engaged Great Rock Auctions as an alternative means to accelerate the sales of their assets.

About the properties:

20 Brimmer Street: This renovated single family 1869 townhouse, known as the John Parkman House, is a 5 bedroom residence boasting over 5,700 square feet of living space. The property has all-level elevator access, custom kitchen, marble baths, paneled library, wine cellar, private roof deck, front and back gardens, smart house technology, green attributes and two car parking. Originally listed for $8,950,000 to be sold subject to a minimum bid of $4,975,000.

25 Lime Street: This new construction triplex home has 2 bedrooms, a study, home gym room, two and a half baths, large sunny chef’s kitchen, and a private garden. The master suite has a bay window, dressing room/closet and elegant master bath with soaking tub and shower. Originally listed for $2,449,000 to be sold subject to a minimum bid of $1,200,000.

Interested bidders can find information on these Beacon Hill auctions at www.greatrock.com.

About Great Rock Auctions

Great Rock Auctions is a premium real estate auction firm exclusively selling high quality real estate. Specializing in selling choice assets, Great Rock’s proprietary auction process is unmatched and consistently facilitates successful sales within an accelerated time frame. Headquartered in New England, Great Rock’s auction team is led by Principal Jeremy Freid and Principal Auctioneer Bruce Sayre, both of whom leverage their extensive experience from Chicago based, Sheldon Good & Company. Great Rock Auctions emerged from the separation of the 2009 entity Flynn/BRA. For more information visit: www.greatrock.com.

Kennedy Wilson Auction Group, a division of the national real estate services and investment firm Kennedy Wilson, will conduct an auction of 27 luxury condominiums at Sabine on Fifth, a beautifully designed, in-demand 10-story community set on Waller Creek in the heart of downtown Austin’s entertainment district. This highly anticipated grand reopening auction is truly of grand proportion and will take place at the Hilton Austin Downtown Hotel on February 28, 2010.

Ideally located on Waller Creek in the heart of Austin’s entertainment district are 10 stories of contemporary living among 27 beautifully designed condominium homes. Featuring one to two bedrooms and one to two baths in up to 1,467 sq. ft., each Sabine on Fifth residence also features such sought-after details as stainless steel appliances, rich maple, espresso and cappuccino cabinets, silestone countertops and sealed concrete flooring. As an added bonus, homeowners will be treated to a complimentary one-year membership to the Tower Health Club and Spa with their Sabine on Fifth purchase.

According to Rhett Winchell, president of Kennedy Wilson’s Auction Group, “Downtown Austin continues its revival and Sabine on Fifth puts residents right where the action is.” Continued Winchell, “There’s never been a better opportunity to live a luxury lifestyle at a bargain entry price – the Grand Reopening auction on February 28th is just what people have been waiting for.”

Founded in 1977, Kennedy Wilson is a real estate services and investment firm headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, with 20 offices throughout the U.S. and Japan. It seeks opportunities in partnership with clients in pursuit of above-market investor returns and higher real estate values. Kennedy Wilson Auction Group has been a leading force in the auction industry since 1977. Since inception, the Kennedy Wilson Auction Group has conducted many successful auctions of condominiums and single-family homes throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. It conducts ballroom style, site-to-site, and on-line auctions for all types of real estate. Go to BidKW.com or www.kennedywilson.com for more information about upcoming auctions in Texas, Nevada, and California.

Great American Group, Inc. (OTCBB: GAMR), a leading provider of asset disposition, valuation and appraisal services, today announced it has, through its affiliate Great American Home Auctions, LLC, purchased the real property of the former Humboldt Creamery facility located in Los Angeles, California.

Great American Home Auctions, LLC will be selling the real property, which is comprised of approximately 75,000 square feet under one roof on a parcel of just over 3 acres, with M-2 zoning. The building is equipped for both cold and frozen storage and is currently vacant.

“The property would make for an excellent ‘owner-user’ opportunity for produce, fish, meat or other food processing and storage,” said Andy Gumaer, Chief Executive Officer of Great American Group, Inc.

As part of the purchase, Great American Group, Inc. acquired the machinery, equipment and other assets of the Humboldt Creamery and has scheduled an auction of these assets on Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. PST at 1474 North Indiana Street in Los Angeles. Items to be sold will be available for inspection on March 10, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The sale will include ice cream production and processing lines, stainless steel conveyors, packaging equipment, freezers, stainless steel and bulk storage tanks, general plant and support equipment and much more! For detailed descriptions of all items, visit www.greatamerican.com or call 1-800-45GREAT.

“Great American Group is very excited to be selling the former assets of Humboldt Creamery. The auction will consist of a well maintained ice cream production facility that includes some very recently refurbished manufacturing lines and packaging equipment,” said Mark Weitz, President of the Wholesale & Industrial Division of Great American Group.

About Great American Group, Inc.

Great American Group, Inc. is a leading provider of asset disposition solutions and valuation and appraisal services to a wide range of retail, wholesale and industrial clients, as well as lenders, capital providers, private equity investors and professional service firms. Great American Group has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, London, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.

About Great American Home Auctions, LLC

Great American Home Auctions, LLC is a joint venture between Great American Group, LLC and Kelly Capital, an experienced real estate investment firm. The combined experience of these two firms provide home auctions of foreclosed real estate and an internet based auction exchange for real estate loans and commercial real estate.

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*Great American Group and the Eagle Design are trademarks registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and are exclusive property of Great American Group, Inc.

Grand Estates Auction Co., which specializes in auctioning premier, one-of-a-kind residential real estate, is auctioning “The Balcony,” a remarkable equestrian estate located in the heart of America’s most exclusive horse country in Aiken, S.C. The “absolute” auction, where there are no minimum bids and no reserves, will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9, at the historic horse-lover’s residence.

Founded in 1999, Grand Estates Auction Co. has successfully auctioned hundreds of luxury homes, in the $1.5 million to $10 million range, throughout the United States and Caribbean. In today’s real estate market, Grand Estates’ absolute auctions have proven highly successful in selling multi-million-dollar properties ? which often have languished on the market ? quickly allowing the seller to forgo excess carrying costs normally associated with owning a property.

For example, an estate in the exclusive Shimo section of Nantucket didn’t sell using traditional methods for more than a year until July 2009. Within minutes, Grand Estates sold the home at absolute auction for $5.2 million. The estate, featured on the front page of The New York Times, drew hundreds of inquiries and 23 registered bidders from across the country. In December 2009, “La Maison Des Fontaines,” one of the most acclaimed homes in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, was sold at absolute auction after more than 200 inquiries of the property, selling to a bidder for $2.23 million. The buyer, an avid Dallas sports fan, was thrilled to now own a home minutes from the new Cowboys Stadium after flying in every weekend to attend all professional and college games.

“The benefit of an absolute auction is that bidders determine the true market value, which is the ideal way to sell and buy high-end residential real estate in today’s market conditions,” said Stacy Kirk, president of Grand Estates, with offices in Atlanta, Charlotte, Naples and Vail, Colo. “Bidders know the seller is committed to sell and have an opportunity to thoroughly examine the property prior to auction. Sellers avoid the hassles of unscheduled showings and cut onerous carrying costs. We complete the leg work for the sellers by aggressively marketing the properties to highly qualified bidders and then quickly close the sale. In short, buyers come prepared to buy and the seller knows exactly when the property will sell.”

“The Balcony” in Aiken, S.C., is a period home, complemented by modern features. This five-bedroom home features side-by-side kitchens, a guest house and wine cellar. With five-plus acres of mature gardens and grounds, this estate is ideal for indoor and outdoor entertaining with a pool, tennis court, multiple fireplaces and home gym. Hardwood floors, 10-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows are showcased throughout the home. The estate is a horse-lover’s dream, complete with a 20-stall barn with multiple tack rooms, feed room, tool room, hay loft, sand riding arena and more.

Known as the “Winter Colony,” Aiken has been a second home to northerners, including the Woolworth, Vanderbilt and Aston families, since the 1800s. Located 16 miles from Augusta, Ga., Aiken offers mild temperatures and all of the amenities to the equestrian lifestyle, including perfect clay soil for riding. Take your horse to Hitchcock Woods and ride the 2,000-acre preserve, complete with jumps and trails. Aiken stays true to its southern historic roots, but adds a contemporary flair.

The auction is open only to registered bidders, who are required to submit a refundable $50,000 cashier’s or certified check prior to the auction.

Prospective bidders should contact Grand Estates Auction Co. at 800 552-8120 or 704 529-0026 for bid registration requirements and to inquire about the showing schedule before the auctions. For more information, see www.GrandEstatesAuction.com

Concierge Auctions (www.conciergeauctions.com), the leading luxury real estate auction company, today announced the sale of Cher’s home in the exclusive Hualalai Resort in Hawaii to a buyer from Arizona for $8.72 million. The January 18 auction included the successful sale of five properties in Kona, Hawaii, for a total of more than $19.4 million.

In addition to Cher’s home, a property at 72-3209 Ka Nehe Place in the Kuki’o Golf and Beach Club and Residences selling absolute was purchased by a buyer from Beverly Hills for $4.95 million. A second home selling absolute in Kuki’o, at 72-3205 Punaloa Place, was purchased for $3.85 million. Collectively, the prices achieved for the homes in Kuki’o were $10 per square foot higher than the average price per square foot for other homes sold in the Maniniowali section of Kuki’o over the past six months. Additionally, two home sites in Kuki’o sold for $990,000 and $962,000, respectively.

Cher’s 8,800-square-foot Balinese style residence, located at 72-122 Lau’eki Street in the Hualalai Resort, features a gated center courtyard leading to the main residence, which includes a master wing, great room, kitchen, dining room, outdoor living area, and infinity pool with spa overlooking the Hualalai Golf Course and the Pacific Ocean. The property at 72-3209 Ka Nehe Place in Kuki’o was newly designed and furnished by its owner, architect and interior designer Jennifer Day.

The auction began with a call for donations to the Salvation Army’s relief efforts in Haiti, which raised more than $23,500 from registered bidders.

For more information on Concierge Auctions and its services, visit www.ConciergeAuctions.com or call 888-966-4759.

About Concierge Auctions: Concierge Auctions is the preeminent luxury real estate auction firm serving high-end sellers nationwide. A leading provider of services for individual and institutional owners of luxury residential real estate, Concierge Auctions is revolutionizing the industry by offering an accelerated marketing process that obtains fair market value for high-end properties in a determined time frame. Building on a centuries-old method for selling the finest art and antiquities, the company combines the latest technologies and marketing programs with experienced personnel to generate the maximum value for the most premier properties in an open, competitive forum.

As a preferred auction provider to Sotheby’s International Realty(R) and other luxury brokerage firms, the company has executed auctions throughout the country, from New York to Hawaii. The company’s database includes more than 10,000 luxury real estate buyers and agents from all 50 states and 38 countries and territories. The principals of Concierge Auctions have been involved in the transfer of more than $2 billion in luxury real estate sales over the past 10 years. For more information, call 888-966-4759 or visit www.ConciergeAuctions.com.

Inglewood’s Fox Theatre, a historic art deco/moderne landmark that served as a main site for Hollywood premieres in the 1950s, will be sold via a sealed bid auction on February 5. The property will sell to the highest bidder above $200,000. Sperry Van Ness Accelerated Marketing Co. Inc. is conducting the auction of this well-known piece of Hollywood’s past.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to redevelop a grand theatre from days gone by and at a fraction of the value,” says David Gilmore, Managing Director of Sperry Van Ness Accelerated Marketing.

The 12,090 square foot Fox Theatre boasts Marilyn Monroe and the Three Stooges among other stars who graced its plush seating and grandiose interior. Last operational in 1984, both the exterior facade and interior theater are in need of restoration. However, many of the original fixtures and theater equipment are still intact and remain in the building.

Located at 115 N. Market St., the Fox Theatre is located in a prime area of Inglewood. Art deco buildings from the early 1920s, landscaped medians, fountains and access to public transportation make this a desirable location.

The Fox Theatre is currently owned by former NFL player Mark Fields. Fields played linebacker in the NFL for 10 seasons with the New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams and the Carolina Panthers.

Bids for Inglewood’s Fox Theatre are due on February 5. For property information and a complete Bid Package visit www.svnauctions.com.

About Sperry Van Ness Accelerated Marketing Co. Inc.

The Sperry Van Ness Accelerated Marketing Team has planned, orchestrated and conducted successful auctions, sealed bid initiatives and asset dispositions in 48 states, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Sperry Van Ness International has a network of nearly 1,000 commercial advisors located in 160 markets throughout the United States. Sperry is the only major commercial real estate company with an integrated, in-house accelerated marketing team.

Web site: http://www.svnauctions.com/

A six-bedroom home on Lake George in Queensbury, New York sold for $1.518 million at a real estate auction on December 5, announced Stuart Mattison, Director of Operations, Concierge Auctions.

The property at 34 Pulver Road, offered by luxury real estate auction company Concierge Auctions (www.conciergeauctions.com), in cooperation with Select Sotheby’s International Realty (www.selectsothebysrealty.com), closed in just over two weeks. The auction outreach efforts attracted website visitors from 16 countries and 33 states, resulting in 57 interested buyer prospects and six registered bidders.

The stunning retreat, with magnificent Lake George views and 168 feet of lake frontage, is one of the area’s great hideaways. Boasting 2,638 square feet of living area and classic Adirondack style, the home has ample room for entertaining large families, while at the same time maintaining its intimate feel and rustic charm.

“The staff at Concierge Auctions embodies the persona that we strive to work with. This is not just a service provider to us, but a true project partner that invested the requisite time, energy and resources to ensure a successful sale,” stated John Burke, Broker/Owner of Select Sotheby’s International Realty.

“It is an absolute differentiator for us in our markets to have the resources to integrate a fast property monetization option for clients who don’t want to wait for a traditional buyer to surface,” Burke added. “Our recent Lake George auction result was one percent better than the average sale price in comparison to the original listing price for all lakefront sales reported in the MLS in 2009, which speaks volumes to the possibility for repeat offerings with Concierge Auctions.”

“We look forward to expanding our relationship with Select Sotheby’s International Realty, and presenting more auction opportunities in Upstate New York in the coming months,” Mattison stated. “The auction process is a great option for luxury property owners seeking to attract qualified buyers and obtain a guaranteed sale within a specified timeframe.”

For more information on the property or Concierge Auctions, visit www.conciergeauctions.com or call 888-966-4759