No shortage of real estate billionaires in America. Nope. The recent Forbes 400 list is chock full of them and they seem pretty much immune to the current housing/mortgage/credit crisis.

Forbes points out that Donald Trump has made out big time by buying up hotels and mega apartment complexes — so much so, says Forbes, they contribute to Trump’s estimated $3 billion dollar net worth.

Others on the list include Samuel Zell who recently bought the Los Angeles Times and Mortimer Zuckerman, the long time owner of the New York Daily News.

Which brings me to Hindsdale . . . a hop, skip and a jump from downtown Chicago.

Photo Courtesy of Village of Hinsdale

Hinsdale apparently needs emergency help with its real estate market, says a Reuters dispatch.

I should explain that Hillsdale is home to what is being called “McMansions” — owned by folks who, for the most part, made their money during the 90’s Internet boom. The homes there start in the low millions, but are suddenly not selling apparently.

One real estate broker in the area is quoted as saying “in more than 30 years I’ve never seen so much inventory.”

Now, here is a chance for the super rich to lend a helping hand to the just plain rich by buying up their property. I mean, what’s a $2 million dollar home purchase to a guy like Zell? Hell, he probably spends that much everyday on jet fuel for private planes.

And, such charity from the super-rich could set an example for others…you know, sort of a role model.

So, this is an appeal to the Trumps and Zuckermans and Zells and Jorge Perezes of the world:
Why not reach out ( or in your cases, down) and scoop up these wanting mega-homes?

You’ll be better people for it and Hinsdale could go on being a magnet for the just plain rich who wouldn’t be caught dead actually living in downtown Chicago.

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Tags: Hinsdale, IL, Mortimer Zuckerman, Trump, Zell, Zuckerman

We went surfing through Digg to find the most popular real estate stories from the last year. Here are the 14 coolest real estate stories that we could find among the masses of submissions:

1. The next real estate boom
   ” Picture the scene: it’s 2025, and you and your family are living in a beautiful, leafy-green village that seems more 19th century than 21st, even though it has only been in existence for ten years and is just 20 miles from a major American city.”
2. Photos of 100 Rooms, each 100 Square Feet in Size in Hong Kong Public Housing
   This photo-montage of 100 tiny apartment rooms was a very popular topic.
3. Super Tree Houses
   Check out the coolest tree houses you’ll ever see!
4. The 7 Coolest Web 2.0 Real Estate Sites
   We picked the 7 coolest real estate web 2.0 sites back in April. Low and behold, this was to become one popular post.
5. Craigslist to charge fees for real estate listings
   This strategy, which has taken place in selected cities, must have brought a ton of cash to the Craigslist crew and Craig Newmark.
6. The End for 6% Realtors?
   With the advent of new companies like Redfin and great new technologies, will full price real estate agents kick the bucket?
7. For the first time in the U.S., asking price for a house tops $100 million
   Donald Trump’s $125 million Palm Beach home broke the $100 million barrier for the first time in US history. Ironically, the price was soon thereafter Trumped!
8. The Greenest Office in America
   Adobe has turned its headquarters into a towering example of environmentalism - and is saving millions of dollars in the process.
9. 3 Million Bees Removed From Kitchen Of Couple’s Apartment
   A south Florida couple was happy to not be sharing their home with millions of bees. Jesus Molina said he and his girlfriend were ready to buzz off after a swarm of bees invaded the kitchen wall of their Miami Beach apartment. (video)
10. Dubai Dominates Global Architecture with Tallest Building and More
    Dubai, located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been at the forefront of global architecture and is in the process of building the world’s tallest building, amongst other things.
11. Green Buildings are all the rage in New York City
    “They are not yet as ubiquitous as the Toyota Prius, the hybrid car popular among the ecologically minded, but “green” apartment buildings have begun popping up around Manhattan.”
12. The World’s Smallest Apartment
    Imagine living in the world’s smallest apartment. . . this thing is tiny! (photo)
13. 15 Common Renter’s Rights
    “You don’t have to be expert in landlord-tenant law to protect yourself. Just brush up on your rights — and read your lease before signing the dotted line.”
14. Tenant Leaves Behind 70,000 Beer Cans
    Imagine walking in on your apartment after your tenant moves out and finding 70,000 cans! (photo)

Tags: apartment, biggerpockets, building, cool, craigslist, digg, Donald, dubai, estate, future, green, landlord, popular, real, redfin, stories, tallest, Trump

Sales records were just smashed by the new Trump International Hotel and Tower Waikiki Beach Walk condo-hotel. Four hundred sixty-four hotel suites were purchased for over $700 million by investors last Thursday. “Developers said the sales set a record for the amount of residential property, both in dollar value and unit volume, sold in one development on a single day. The previous record was set in December 2005 when Vancouver-based Intrawest Corp. sold 318 suites in the first phase of a Maui resort for $425 million US.” The project will begin construction next month, and is slated for completion by the middle of 2009.

Trump has recently become the king of licensing, by selling his name to real estate projects around the country. With to no little investment in these projects, his company is looking more like Marvel Comics (another licensing firm) then a true real estate development firm.

Tags: condo, condotel, developer, Donald, finance, hotel, licensing, sales, Trump