$150 million

A house belonging to late TV producer Aaron Spelling has gone on the market in Los Angeles with an asking price of $150 million (£105m) – making it the most expensive property for sale in the US. Located in the exclusive Holmby Hills neigbourhood, the sprawling mansion boasts a staggering 56,500 square feet of interior space, set in over 4.6 acres of land.
The property is so vast that Spelling’s widow, Candy Spelling, was unable to provide estate agents with an exact room count – although estimates put the tally at over 100.
“There’s a lot. (The house) has evolved and I actually haven’t gone around and counted”, she said.
Potential buyers perusing the labyrinthine, French chateau-inspired estate will find such essential features as a bowling alley, a wine cellar and tasting room, a library, gym – even a dedicated gift-wrapping room, and a humidity-controlled facility for storing the family silver.

The grounds are peppered with fountains, a waterfall, a citrus orchard, tennis courts, two swimming pools and a spa – plus parking space for over 100 cars,
The 17,000 square foot attic, which was converted by the Spellings before Aaron’s death in 2003, features a full-service barber shop and beauty salon.
No self-respecting magnate would even consider moving into such an ostentatious abode without a full complement of staff – and the buyer’s entourage will undoubtedly be thrilled with their accommodation.
Set in a separate wing, the seven-bedroom quarters are the height of luxury, with five fireplaces, a kitchen and four ‘wet bars’ for post-service entertaining.
The piece de resistance of the three-storey property is, according to Mrs Spelling, the screening room where her late husband – who produced hit shows such as Dynasty, Charlie’s Angels and Beverly Hills 90210 – spent much of his time.
The hi-tech projection system comes up through the floor, simultaneously extending shades over the room’s windows to ensure uninterrupted viewing pleasure.
“I wanted Aaron to have the best projection room anyone had ever seen, and the biggest, so I came with this solution”, Ms Spelling said.
Sally Forster Jones, an estate agent with Coldwell Banker Previews International, is co-marketing the property.
“Everything there is glamorous, and is luxurious and it’s really great scale,” she said. “There really is nothing to compare it to.”
Mrs Spelling – who is moving into a comparatively modest $47 million (£33 million) penthouse apartment in LA – says she enlisted the help of her dog Madison when it came to selecting the right ‘realtor’ for the job.
Security brought the wheaten terrier into the room with each prospective agent, and Candy scrutinised the animal’s reaction. Those that didn’t meet with Madison’s favour were immediately dismissed.

No. 1 (U.S.): George Washington University

Washington, D.C.

2008-2009 tuition and fees: $40,437

For tuition and fees alone, George Washington University remains the most expensive in the U.S.–and perhaps the world. However, GWU shields its students from annual tuition hikes, as long as they maintain full-time status. The school is also among the country’s most generous in financial assistance: the average aid award for an incoming student is about $22,500. Without it, the total cost of a GWU education–including books, room and board and other expenses–is about $53,000 annually.

No. 2 (U.S.): Sarah Lawrence College

Bronxville, N.Y.

2008-2009 tuition and fees: $40,350

In just a year, Sarah Lawrence College jumped from fifth to second place on our list, thanks to a 5.9% increase in tuition and fees. Including its mandatory meal plan for all freshmen, the school estimates its total cost of attendance at $53,150 per year. That includes a $1,870 insurance fee, but doesn’t account for travel and expenses in and around nearby New York City.

No. 3 (U.S.): Kenyon College

Gambier, Ohio

2008-2009 tuition and fees: $40,240

For tuition and fees, Kenyon ranks among the highest in the nation. And while its total estimated cost of tuition–$46,830–is steep (and doesn’t include a suggested budget of $2,400 for book, supplies and transportation), it’s less than other private schools in cities like New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. According to the school, about 70% of Kenyon students receive financial aid, 24% from academic scholarships.

No. 4 (U.S.): Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

2008-2009 tuition and fees: $40,210

“You do not have to be wealthy or even well-off to attend Vassar,” the school’s Web site says. But it wouldn’t hurt. It costs at least $49,250 a year to attend Vassar, if you add room and board to the $40,210 the school charges in tuition and fees. Throw in another $2,060 for books, supplies, personal expenses and transportation, the college estimates. Can you afford it? Vassar goes to great pains to say yes. About 55% of Vassar students receive financial aid. The school says it meets 100% of all students’ demonstrated need for aid.

No. 5 (U.S.): Bucknell University

Lewisburg, Pa.

2008-2009 tuition and fees: $39,652

Bucknell charged incoming fall students $48,380, including room and board. But that doesn’t include books, personal expenses and travel to and from the school, about three hours from both New York City and Washington, D.C. According to the university, about 62% of all students receive some form of financial aid. The average aid package for freshmen is about $25,000. Bucknell’s tuition and fees increased by 4% from $39,652 last year–on the low side compared to other private schools with a 6% or 7% tuition hike.

No. 6 (U.S.): Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pa.

2008-2009 tuition and fees: $39,564

An education at Carnegie Mellon, one of the world’s top research universities, is by no means cheap. Although tuition and fees alone cost nearly $40,000, the school estimates its cost of attendance to be $52,150 for freshmen during the 2008-2009 academic year. Carnegie Mellon offers a tuition payment plan that allows students to spread the cost of tuition over a 10-month period, interest free.

No. 7 (U.S.): Colgate University

Hamilton, N.Y.

2008-2009 tuition and fees: $39,545

Colgate, a liberal arts school in central New York, estimates that its current cost of attendance for freshmen is $51,090. That includes $39,545 in tuition and fees, $9625 in room and board (mandatory for first-year students) and $1,920 for books and personal expenses. The school says its typical first-year aid package is a $2,625 loan, a work/study program that allows a student to earn $2,600 and the remainder in grant funding.

No. 8 (U.S.): Columbia University

New York, N.Y.

2008-2009 tuition and fees: $39,326

Columbia might rank eighth in terms of tuition and fees, but there aren’t many places more expensive to live and study than New York City. The school estimates its average cost of attendance for 2008-2009 to be $51,886. On top of tuition is an estimated $9,980 for room and board and $2,580 for books, personal expenses and other fees. Columbia’s average financial aid package last year was “over $30,000″ according to the university.

No. 9 (U.S.): St. John’s College

Annapolis, Md. and Santa Fe, N.M.

2008-2009 tuition and fees: $39,154

St. John’s has two campuses on either side of the country, a distinct curriculum based on the great books of Western civilization, and an estimated annual cost of $49,513. That includes tuition and fees plus $9,284 for room and board, $275 for books and $800 for personal and other expenses. The average financial aid package at St. John’s is $25,786 per year. About 65% of students receive some sort of assistance.

No. 10 (U.S.): Wesleyan University

Middletown, Conn.

2008-2009 tuition and fees: $38,934

Wesleyan received a nice bit of publicity last year due to its commencement speaker, then-Sen. Barack Obama. This year, applications for admission have risen by 22%, a signal that Wesleyan’s high cost of tuition isn’t a deterrent. The school also charges a residential comprehensive fee of $10,636. Like Carnegie Mellon, Wesleyan has a tuition payment plan that allows students to spread out the cost over 10 months, interest-free.