More signs that the economy is improving, the Patriot Ledger reports: The Cape and Islands summer rental market is rebounding from an anemic season in 2009, when economic downdrafts put a damper on vacation plans. Now, the most sought-after listings – oceanfront cottages available from mid-July through mid-August – are leasing quickly, and high-end properties have seen an upsurge in demand as well.

Technically, the world’s most expensive home doesn’t exist yet. It’s being built and is planned to be completed and ready for sale by 2010 — at the staggering price tag of 100 million pounds (more than $200 million). The penthouse will sit atop the swanky flats of One Hyde Park, a skyscraper development in London’s richest quarter. This posh penthouse will be the upstairs-neighbor to 82 other apartments in the building, half of which have been sold for an average of around 20 million pounds (about $40 million), or approximately 6,000 pounds (about $12,000) per square foot.

To protect against unwanted intruders, residents of the building will be protected by watchmen from the British SAS (Special Forces) members and security features such as bullet-proof windows and iris scanners . The building itself has emergency exits leading to an underground tunnel to the nearby Mandarin Oriental Hotel, but the penthouse’s residents could simply mosey to their panic rooms. During less stressful times, One Hyde Park dwellers can bathe in communal spas, play on the squash courts or drink wine in tasting rooms . Reports of the pending penthouse also include floor-to-ceiling refrigerators and 24-hour room service for when residents don’t feel like cooking.

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Source: Luxury living