Million-Dollar Home

If a house is on the market for $1million or more, it should come as nosurprise that the eventual buyer is well-to-do. What may come as a shock isthat almost a third of those buyers paythe whole purchase price in cash andanother 17% get by with a mortgage of50% or less. A recent survey of luxuryhomebuyers from realtor ColdwellBanker shows that two thirds of themare baby boomers, 85% are married,and 55% have children. Only one thirdinherited their wealth; the rest are "newmoney." About 40% of luxury homebuyersplan to spend another tidy sumon renovations, with high-end designerkitchens taking top priority. Wine cellars,basketball/tennis courts, and indoorpools are also high on the must-havelist.