7 Most Expensive Houses Sold in America Make That $24.5 Million Memorial Mansion Look Almost Texas Cheap

Houston went bonkers when Mike Mahlstedt and Katie Forney of Compass posted a $24.5 million listing on Sandringham as one of the most costly in the city. But could that Memorial mega mansion be among the priciest residences for sale in America?

Not by a long shot. How does $240 million sound for a place to call home?

After taking a look at the stratospheric residential real estate market across the country, we’ve concluded that mucho dinero in Texas is chump change in California and New York. Or if you prefer to look at it this way, $25 million goes a whole lot further in Texas. For example, Houston’s most expensive listing at the moment is 120 Carnavon with a $29.5 million asking price for the 26,639 palatial dwelling on four acres in Memorial.

Surveys of the most expensive homes selling in the United States in 2019 reveal a few unexpected necessities. Trophy homes, like Texas ranches, need names. Among the nation’s top selling residences, there are “La Follia,” “The Billionaire” and “La Reverie.” Bathrooms must far outnumber bedrooms, which cannot be fewer than 10,  and a house at this level is not a home without a bowling alley, a movie theater, a salon and wine cellars. Also, one kitchen is never enough.

Herewith, a look at what are billed as the seven most expensive home sales in the country in 2019:

The Billionaire

“The Billionaire” in Los Angeles captures a modernist’s imagination with its contemporary lines, abundance of glass and 38,000 square feet of ostentatious design. Originally priced at $240 million, the new construction property sold for a mere $94 million in October.

A song considering the amenities which include 17,000 square feet of entertainment decks, two master suites, 10 oversized VIP guest suites, 21  bathrooms, three gourmet kitchens, five bars, massage studio/wellness spa, state-of-the-art fitness center, 85-foot glass tile infinity swimming pool, and 40-seat in-home theater, each of the leather theater seats dressed with an Hermes blanket. And let’s not forget the helipad atop the five-level residence.

Malibu Manse

A Charles Gwathmey–designed 14,000 square foot home in Malibu sold in August for an even $100 million. The glass-walled house sitting on three acres of oceanfront property was built in the late 1990s and of late has been the pied-à-terre of entertainment mogul Ron Meyer. Not overly large by Texas standards, the high notes include a two-story paneled library, a home theater, a gym and a home office.

The grounds include two guest houses, a spa house, a tennis court and a swimming pool.

La Follia

“La Follia,” elegantly rising along Palm Beach’s ritzy Billionaire’s Row and located just a few doors down from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, traded owners in July for $110 million. The sprawling, 37,500-square-foot, Italian Renaissance-style home boasts 210 feet of private beach, as well as lush gardens and its own boat dock on the Intracoastal Waterway. We count 13 bedrooms, 16 baths, five powder rooms, three wine cellars and a theater.

According to Forbes magazine, South Ocean Boulevard boasts more than 30 billionaire residents.

La Reverie

“La Reverie” is another property on Palm Beach’s Billionaire’s Row, this scooped up earlier this month by hedge fund billionaire Steven Schonfeld for $111 million, setting a Florida state record for most the expensive home ever sold. Spread across six acres, the Schonfeld’s vacation home (yes, vacation home) can sleep a small circus with its 11 bedrooms and 22 bathrooms.

Special touches include a bowling alley, hair salon, spa, ice cream stand and candy parlor.

The Manor

“The Manor” in Los Angeles, traded hands from Formula One heiress Petra Ecclestone to an unidentified buyer who is said to have payed the $120 million in dollar bills, the highest home price in Los Angeles history though it did not hold the record for long. (Keep reading.) No slouch when it comes to sleepovers, the 56,000 square foot behemoth, built by TV producer Aaron Spelling, boasts 14 bedrooms and 27 bathrooms

The fun stuff: a French wine and cheese room, a flower-cutting room, a humidity-controlled silver storage room, a barbershop, multiple gift-wrapping rooms, a beauty salon, a bowling alley and a nightclub.

The Chartwell Estate

“The Chartwell Estate” fetched a disarming $150 million, shattering records as the most expensive home ever sold in California. Spread across 10 acres, the house built in the 1930s, expands across 25,000 square feet of space. But guests will be at home in the 5,700-square-foot quarters. Manicured gardens run throughout the grounds, and a 75-foot, resort-style swimming pool and pool house are connected to the home via an underground tunnel and an elevator.

The Penthouse

The Penthouse at 220 South Central Park in New York ranks as the priciest residential dwelling ever to sell in the United States, going for $240 million. It’s a 23,000 square foot mansion in the sky boasting 16 bedrooms, 17 bathrooms and five balconies.

That’s an astonishing $10,870 per square foot. The buyer? Billionaire hedge fund mogul and Citadel founder  Ken Griffin. Architect Robert Stern’s residential skyscraper boasts 70 floors and 116 units and this penthouse occupies portions of floors 50 through 53.

For more looks at America’s Most Expensive Houses, click through the photo gallery below: