Last year, a 16-acre property in Greenwich, Connecticut, containing a Jacobean manor house of 2034 square meters with 14 rooms was sold for 125 million dollars (82.8 million). It was the second most expensive home for sale in the world by its price. Today, it is proposed to only 60 million dollars.

In one year, all owners wishing to sell have decided to reduce their prices by 20% or more. But this phenomenon is changing now as it affects owners of property valued at several tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. Last year, the investor Marty Zweig has withdrawn from the market the Pierre Hotel penthouse sale for $ 70 million four years ago. The financier Leonard Ross, who demanded 165 million dollars to the Hearst Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif., has withdrawn from the market in September 2008.A few months later, Prince Bandar of Saudi Arabia has withdrawn his ski chalet in Aspen, which he wanted 135 million dollars.

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This year, another victim of the housing market rout is "Hillendale" in Stamford, Connecticut. This property was sold for 95 million dollars. It is not for sale. Others, like the owners of a manor of 85 million dollars created by Wallace Neff, have decided to rent their properties until the market recovers.

These reactions, said Jonathan Miller, CEO of real estate appraisal firm Miller Samuel, are normal. "The market went wild, and has increased the prices of these goods to astronomical levels," said he. "These reductions are less dramatic reflection of the market collapse than the reality. "

While the number of buyers willing to invest in a property worth tens or hundreds of millions of dollars has always been low, the lack of availability of financing for mega-loans is a little more decimated their ranks . Finally, some buyers who have the necessary funds are waiting to see if the housing market will regain its stability. And they could take some time.

The market for "ultra-luxury" also suffers

"It's low-end market has suffered in the first," says Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research, a provider of real estate statistics. "Then, the luxury market began to suffer there are only 12 months and is very recently that the market for ultra-luxury was hit. It will take years, many years before the market does recover. At the top, it will take longer for the luxury market as a whole. To attract buyers, owners and their agents use strategies often reserved for sellers in more traditional markets.

This was decided to owners Bootjack Ranch in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. During the year, they reduced their prices by $ 88 million to 68 million.The broker of this property, Bill Fandel of Sotheby's International Realty, hoped that this reduction would generate some interest. He says that it is the foreign billionaires who seem interested.

"Those who can afford to buy a property like this," says he, "want to know they are a wise purchase and they get a lot for these huge price. "Herald Grant, who also works for Sotheby's, has withdrawn from the market a property in Southampton proposed $ 80 million. "When the buyers were willing to spend, prices were emotional," says he, "but now the sellers are more reserved. "

The Villa Leopolda in France

But the general slump has not stopped some to sell their luxury properties.In March, Candy Spelling, wife of the late producer Aaron Spelling, has sold their manor of 150 million dollars in Holmby Hills. Called "The Manor, the residence of 100 rooms topped our list this year. Despite the widespread collapse of property prices, its price is higher than the number 1 last year, "Fleur De Lys", also in Holmby Hills for sale for $ 125 million. This property is inspired by the palace of Louis XIV at Versailles, with an area of nearly 4200 square meters.

Albemarle House, 100 million, an area of Charlottesville, Virginia. At the heart of a park of 120 acres adjacent to Monticello and Ash Lawn-Highland, this Georgian house of eight rooms was designed by architect and designer David Easton.

Owners of homes outside the United States also seem to hope that the unique features of their homes attract buyers. Updown Court, the area of 117 million dollars that they say bigger than Buckingham Palace and Hampton Court, is still on the market. Like'exceptionnelle Villa Leopolda, with its 2700 square meters and 11 rooms, located on the Riviera, which had been proclaimed the most expensive home in the world, and is now offered to 68 million euros . If owners are concerned, they could perhaps see Joel Horowitz, co-founder of Tommy Hilfiger and owner of "Tranquility" at Lake Tahoe. This area of 85 hectares for sale since 2006 at a price of 100 million dollars.

The National Association for Business Economics released its monthly survey on Monday on the state of the U.S. economy in 2010. The real GDP growth should reach them by 2.9% next year, compared with the 2.6% suggested in the previous survey.

"The real GDP growth should be sufficient to rebuild the lost ground during the recession and ensure that the production reaches a record high by the end of 2010," NABE said in a statement.

For the year, the group of economists expects a decline of 2.4% of GDP (against 2.5% previously) and an unemployment rate expected to remain above the 10 threshold % between the fourth quarter 2009 and second quarter 2010.

Since December 2007 and the beginning of the recession that the United States came out, the economy has destroyed 7.3 million jobs, the unemployment rate rising above the symbolic 10% (10.2% precisely) of the workforce in October, the highest since 26 years and a half.

"United States: economic indicators continue to improve

This is the first assessment scales introduced by the radio in the fall. M?diam?trie released Wednesday morning its survey 126 000 Radio for the month of September-October 2009. He confirmed the number one place to RTL, which has nevertheless decreased by 0.4 point to 11.8% of total audience.

But it's really the battle for second place that seems to organize. France Inter, who had claimed the second step to NRJ end of last season, confirmed its position to 10.2% of total audience. First musical France, NRJ now meets 10% of total audience (0.4 points). Declining for several surveys, the station has improved its hearing on the morning, confided in September, Nikos Aliagas. Behind her, Europe is 1 in ambush. Radio generalist group Lagardere rose 0.2 points to 9.7% of total audience.Only 176 000 listeners still separate from the third radio France.

But the largest gains accrue to the general RMC and France Bleu, which rose by 0.6 point to 6.5% reach and 0.7 points to 6.9% of total audience.

The real surprises are in store on the side of music. Long condemned by listening on digital platforms like Deezer, stations that have chosen specific themes are likely to have stabilized or improved their hearing. Fun Radio, specializing in dance, and gaining 0.4 points to 7.2% of the audience, Skyrock, rap station and R'nB, nothing dropped 7.6% of its audience. The musical adult NRJ, Cherie FM (+0.4), Nostalgia (-0.1) and Rire et Chansons (0.5) also take their pin gameOnly the style pop-rock has not yet managed to transform the test: RTL 2 fell by 0.4 points, Virgin Radio (Lagard?re) dropped 1.2 points.

Gold continues to see progress during his flying record after record for over a month and a half. This Thursday, November 12, ounce of gold has traded in London cons 1123.38 dollars, the highest price ever recorded on the market.

This new record was set when the confidence of investors vis-?-vis the dollar continues. Wednesday, parity between the dollar and the euro has fallen against the euro at 1.5048 dollars.

The weak dollar encourages central banks to diversify their reserve assets, and increase their gold reserves. India and Sri Lanka have recently made massive purchases of precious metals. India has procured 200 tonnes of gold via the International Monetary Fund earlier this month. Sri Lanka's share increased its gold reserves of 5.3 tonnes in September.

It only took five months to Daniel Button to return to the economic scene. After his resignation from his position as President of Societe Generale in late April in a particularly tense atmosphere marked by the Kerviel affair and the scandal of stock options, the former tax inspector has launched his own consulting firm based The newspaper Les Echos.

With a capital inmate in full by its founder, the consulting company "European vocation" has already concluded a first contract with the investment bank Rothschild & Cie in Europe, outside France, according to Les Echos.

This transaction has been facilitated by the proximity between Daniel Bouton and Francois Henrot, head of Rothschild, which had supported its counterpart particularly during periods of controversy as the former director of Societe Generale had been through.

The Public Utilities Commission of Maryland announced Friday that it allowed the joint venture with Constellation Energy, EDF Group conditionally. Among these, Constellation must provide 250 million dollars in cash to its subsidiary Baltimore Gas & Electric by the end of June

Constellation Energy and EDF said Friday they were reviewing the decision of Maryland, authorities imposing the two groups said in writing before November 6 if they wish to conclude the agreement and when.

"We consulted with our Board and received approval. We will now conclude the transaction as quickly as possible, "said the American group on Monday.

"EDF will therefore initiate the process for financial closure of the transaction for which he has already received authorization from its Board of Directors," said the French reaction to the decision of its U.S. counterpart.

EDF, which has disbursed 4.5 billion dollars to acquire 49.99% of the nuclear activities of the American plans to build four nuclear reactors of third generation (EPR) in the United States through a joint venture with Constellation.

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