Real Estate for the Super-Wealthy

By Oliver Bazely, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO – Are you fortunate enough to be reading this article from the wet-deck of your yacht, or the back seat of your limousine? Do you dream of finding a luxury pied-à-terre in a city with year round sunshine and famous beaches? If so, then one of the three luxury apartments currently available in Rio may present the perfect opportunity to get to the very top of the Brazilian property ladder.

Firstly, for R$17 million you could find yourself the new owner of the tenth floor apartment in the Edifício Juan Les Pins in Leblon, named after the village on the Cote d’Azur in France. With four en suite bedrooms, reception rooms, media rooms and no less than four parking spaces, there is ample space for you and your guests to feel at home. Also guaranteed is all-day sun, since there are three separate balconies with three different aspects.

The potential buyer should probably be aware that the apartment comes with a somewhat gruesome past, however. In 2008, the former owner, supermarket magnate Arthur Sendas, was murdered on his own doorstep by a member of his personal staff. The apartment has since undergone major renovations in a bid to shed that memory and make it marketable.

The second apartment currently on offer can be found a little over a mile away, still well within the confines of Leblon. The Edifício Cap Ferrat is Rio’s most expensive residential block and, as the apartment is on a lower floor than the previous apartment, the price is again R$17 million. The flat itself includes five en suite bedrooms, an entrance hall, media rooms, a home cinema, a double whirlpool bath and is advertised as coming with three maids.

With 24-hour security the building also caters for the security conscious, although it doesn’t come cheap. The condominium charge is quoted at R$60,000 per month. While living in Cap Ferrat, expect to be bumping into fellow resident and nightlife entrepreneur Alexandre Accioly, who will no doubt fast track the new owner into the upper echelons of Rio society.

Finally, if you are more interested in a little DIY, then why not opt for the rooftop of the Edifício Atlântico Sul. At 1,560m linear (total wall length), it is one of the largest living spaces in all of Zona Sul. It is probably even large enough to share, so why not convert the space into several smaller apartments and recoup some of the R$30 million price tag?

If you are interested in any of these apartments, then don’t plan to wander down on an open-morning, or see a for-sale sign on the gate. You will need to get in touch with the agents, Judice Araujo already, or their partner, Christie’s Great Estates.

Before you call your accountant, it is worth considering what R$10 million can get you in some of the world’s other great cities. For example, you could buy yourself a two bedroom 140m² flat in Knightsbridge, London; a five bedroom loft conversion in Tribeca, New York; or take breakfast on your balcony overlooking the Eiffel Tower. However, for the committed sun worshiper, there is really only one choice, and it involves Rio’s Zona Sul.