'Real Housewives' star Sonja Morgan is auctioning off her N.Y. townhome-no reserve

By Kellie Speed

The historic townhouse was built in 1899

"Real Housewives of New York" star Sonja Morgan is preparing to auction off her Upper East Side townhome. She had tried for more than a decade to sell it.

The no-reserve auction for the stately five-bedroom residence began on May 15, with bids accepted through May 29. Concierge Auctions expects bidding to start in the $1.75 million to $3.75 million range.

Morgan hosted many of her fellow cast members in the townhome, a place she called a "financial drain, an emotional drain" on Season 12 of "Real Housewives."

"Now that my daughter is in college, I certainly don't need all this house for one person," she said.

"We've been in talks for years, and Sonja has followed the successes of the Concierge Auctions," says Paulina Kimbel Alvarez, director of business development for Concierge Auctions. "She now wants to sell on her timeline and appreciates the vast reach of our database, as well as the sense of urgency and transparency that the auction process provides."

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The five-story home was listed for as high as $10.75 million in 2020. It was also available for rent at $32,000 a month in 2021.

Morgan initially listed the townhome in 2013 for $9.95 million and received an offer in 2017, but she ultimately decided to stay in the home with her daughter, according to the New York Post.

Meticulously renovated

The Bravo TV star and her ex-husband, John Adams Morgan, purchased the property in 1998 for $9.1 million. They raised their daughter, Quincy Adams Morgan, there together before the couple divorced in 2006. Sonja Morgan recently completed some additional interior renovations.

"Architectural Digest magazine darling Harry Schnaper was enlisted to complete our dream," Morgan said. "It includes solid, heavy wood doors, elegant moldings and trims, silk-lined closets with cedar walls, and, of course, we kept the early 19th-century white marble fireplace to keep the integrity of this historical home with a mahogany circular staircase and elevator."

Built in 1899, the historic townhouse is located near Madison Avenue and Central Park.

Lavish highlights of the 4,500-square-foot estate include mosaic hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, custom millwork, antique P.E. Guerin hardware, and several fireplaces.

The main level features a 35-foot private garden with a fountain and koi pond. The primary suite comes with a sitting room, wood-burning fireplace, and private balcony.

"Most of the recent renovations were to appeal to my renters," Morgan noted. "My rental market was and always has been strong. "

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She believes the property is "a perfect combination and backdrop of history and modernity for buyers of many different visions to bring their dream to fruition."

Morgan joined the cast of "The Real Housewives of New York City" in 2010 and remained with the show until 2021.

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This story originally ran on Realtor.com.

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05-17-24 0504ET

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