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These places led the US ultra-luxury market last year, according to Compass

BH Group CEO and founder Isaac Toledano speaks to Fox News Digital about how Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory will fuel positive activity in real estate.

2024 was a good year for the ultra-luxury real estate market, with a handful of areas standing out as the leading markets in that category, according to a report from Compass.

Compass found America’s ultra-luxury market notched over 1,700 sales of homes of at least $10 million over the course of last year, marking a 350% jump from 2023. Those sales, the real estate firm said, were worth a combined $31.39 billion.

Of that staggering figure, nearly $23.2 billion came from ten places in four states that dominated the ultra-luxury market by sales volume, according to the report.

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New York, California, Florida and Colorado all had representation among 2024’s top ultra-luxury markets in the U.S, the Compass report showed.

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Here are the five markets that topped Compass’ rankings for ultra-luxury properties by sales volume and how many homes of at least $10 million changed hands in each last year. FOX Business also calculated the average ultra-luxury sale price for each by dividing the sales volume by the number of homes sold, based on the firm’s report.

Manhattan

The Midtown Manhattan skyline is seen from the ‘Edge at Hudson Yards’ observation deck ahead of a total solar eclipse across North America, in New York City on April 8, 2024. This year’s path of totality is 115 miles (185 kilometers) wide and home to (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Total ultra-luxury sales volume: $7.5 billion

Homes sold: 307

Average price: $24.6 million

Greater Los Angeles

A layer of smog lingers above the downtown Los Angeles skyline on December 6, 2024. The National Weather Service on December 4 issued an air quality alert for the greater Los Angeles area until midnight on December 6. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP) (ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Total ultra-luxury sales volume: $3.3 billion

Homes sold: 190

Average price:$17.5 million

Miami-Dade

Miami Beach, Florida, Biscayne Bay, Miami downtown city skyline. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) (Jeffrey Greenberg/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Total ultra-luxury sales volume: $2.7 billion

Homes sold: 152

Average price: $18 million

Palm Beach County

Boats docked next to single-family houses in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., on Wednesday, April 7, 2021. Purchase contracts for single-family houses priced at $10 million or more surged 306% in March from a year earlier, the biggest gain since the pandem (Marco Bello/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Total ultra-luxury sales volume: $2.5 billion

Homes sold: 132

Average price: $18.8 million

Orange County

Luxurious South Orange County, California on a beautiful day (adamkaz / iStock)

Total ultra-luxury sales volume: $1.6 billion

Homes sold: 107

Average price: $14.8 million

By sales volume of ultra-luxury homes, Compass found that Aspen placed No. 6 with $1.4 billion, the Hamptons placed No. 7 with $1.2 billion, Silicon Valley placed No. 8 with $1.06 billion, Southwest Florida placed No. 9 with $1.03 billion and San Diego placed No. 10 with $835. 8 million.

THESE WERE THE MOST EXPENSIVE HOMES SOLD IN 2024, ACCORDING TO REDFIN

“The premium market continues to defy expectations with a wave of momentum from coast-to-coast,” Compass Luxury Head Felipe Hernandez Smith said in a press release.

February 15, 2025
Second-in-command at NIH who led agency during COVID resigns

The No. 2 in command at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Lawrence A. Tabak, who served as acting director of the agency during the COVID-19 pandemic, has abruptly resigned.

Tabak, 73, has been at the NIH for 25 years, first serving as director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research before eventually becoming the NIH’s principal deputy director in 2010, which is the second-in-command at the agency. Tabak also served during transitional periods as acting director, including during the COVID era when he was regularly grilled by Republicans, alongside Dr. Anthony Fauci, over the NIH’s response.

“I write to inform you that I have retired from government service, effective today, 2/11/2025,” Tabak wrote in an email, reportedly circulated to staff at the NIH, earlier this week. The note did not explain the reason for his departure.

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Dr. Lawrence Tabak testifies before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education on Capitol Hill on May 4, 2023. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Tabak’s resignation comes amid a shakeup within the Health and Human Services Department, the NIH’s parent agency, that occurred once President Donald Trump took office in January. Under Trump, the agency has faced cuts to programs and reports have indicated the administration has plans to fire a trove of HHS employees. Typically, Tabak would have been promoted to acting director while Trump’s nominee awaited confirmation. However, the position was instead assigned to Dr. Matthew Memoli, a former top researcher at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a known critic of COVID vaccine mandates.

Tabak was part of a group of agency leaders, including Fauci and former NIH Director Francis Collins, who congressional investigators accused of trying to manipulate the narrative around the origins of the COVID-19 virus. Through GOP investigations, it was determined Tabak was part of a controversial phone call with Fauci, Collins and several prominent scientists that critics have argued was a catalyst for the publication of a scientific paper that was released positing that it was not plausible the virus originated in a lab.

SCIENTISTS EXPECT MAJOR ‘MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS’ DESPITE TRUMP’S CAP ON NIH RESEARCH FUNDING

Security personnel stand guard outside the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

He was also front-and-center when it came to GOP probes into whether risky gain-of-function research was occurring at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, and faced criticism for slow-rolling the release of information requested by Republican investigators for these concerns.

Tabak “[dealt] with all of the messy or intractable problem[s]” and was “often… the fall guy when things [went] sideways,” Jeremy Berg, former director of NIH’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences, said on social media following news of Tabak’s resignation. “Larry has shoveled so much s— over the years that he would have been well qualified to work behind the elephants in an old circus.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to the NIH for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.

February 13, 2025
Noncitizen voter crackdown led by House GOP ahead of 2026 midterms

FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans are rolling out a new package of election security legislation this week, with GOP lawmakers already setting eyes on 2026.

Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, introduced the bills this week, with four lawmakers co-sponsoring the entire package and various other members supporting specific pieces.

The three pieces of legislation are a bill to prohibit noncitizen residents of Washington, D.C. from voting in local elections, a bill to block noncitizens from helping administer elections, and a constitutional amendment to prevent noncitizens from voting.

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Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger is rolling out a series of bills to crack down on noncitizens voting. (Getty Images)

It’s currently illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. Though the law does not apply to state and local elections, there is currently no state in the U.S. that allows noncitizens to vote in statewide elections.

Some areas, however, allow for noncitizens to vote in local-level elections – including Washington, D.C.

“Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy, which is why protecting them from noncitizen influence is essential to our nation’s sovereignty and will ensure America has a flourishing democracy for decades to come,” Pfluger told Fox News Digital.

“These bills are three commonsense steps we can take to ensure noncitizens are not influencing our elections by voting in them or administering them. We must safeguard the integrity of our electoral system, and these bills will work to do just that.”

Congress has jurisdiction over Washington, D.C. (Fox News Digital)

Earlier this year, House Republicans passed the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which requires proof of citizenship in the voter registration process.

The majority of Democrats have cried foul at GOP-led efforts to crack down on noncitizen voting, with progressive lawmakers accusing Republicans of trying to spread doubt about the country’s election processes by targeting something that’s already illegal in most cases.

Democrats also criticized Republicans for pushing bills like the SAVE Act just weeks before the November election.

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But Pfluger and his GOP allies are now side-stepping that criticism by introducing the bills well ahead of the 2026 midterm races, where historical precedent suggests that House Republicans face an uphill battle to keeping their majority.

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Among the co-sponsors of the entire package is House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, who is playing a critical role in congressional Republicans’ efforts to pass a massive conservative policy overhaul via the budget reconciliation process.

Border security and immigration reform are expected to be a significant part of that forthcoming legislation.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to [email protected]

January 31, 2025
Falcons’ Jeff Ulbrich says lack of truth-telling, delegation led to failed stint as Jets interim head coach

Former New York Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich says a lack of truth-telling and his failure to delegate ultimately led to his failed stint as interim head coach and another disappointing season for the organization.

Speaking to the media at his introductory press conference as the Atlanta Falcons’ new defensive coordinator, Ulbrich was asked to reflect on his period with the Jets after taking over as head coach once Robert Saleh was fired just five games into the season.

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New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh, right, talks with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich before an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, California, on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)

“I learned even more than I knew the value of truth-tellers on your staff. I think sometimes as an assistant coach you take it as ‘I’m going to eliminate every problem from the head coach’s table so he can just thrive and do his thing.’ When in reality… there’s certain things that need to be told to the head coach that are occurring.”

Ulbrich seemed to suggest that the lack of honesty from his coaching staff during that period was a major contributing factor to the Jets’ failures.

“The lack of truth sometimes was really detrimental.”

New York Jets head coach Jeff Ulbrich gestures during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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Ulbrich also took accountability for his failure to delegate, specifically his defensive coordinator responsibilities.

“There is an element of a failure for myself in that way because I didn’t delegate. I didn’t. I just took it all on myself. In my mind’s eye, I was trying to create continuity and I didn’t want to fracture the staff.

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“I thought the best thing for me to do at that point in time was just try to keep everybody in the same role that they had just so we could keep things rolling. And it wasn’t the right thing to do. It wasn’t as I look back. I should have delegated. I should have given the defensive coordinator responsibilities to someone else.”

Super Bowl LIX will be streamed on Tubi. (Tubi)

Ulbrich is returning to Atlanta after serving as an assistant there from 2015-2020. He also reunites with Raheem Morris, who served as Atlanta’s interim coach for the final 11 games of 2020.

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Joining Ulbrich in Atlanta will be Mike Rutenberg, who spent the past four seasons as the Jets’ linebackers coach.

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January 28, 2025
United Airlines says ‘technical issue’ led to dozens injured on flight from Nigeria to DC

A United Airlines flight from LAX to Denver lost a wheel during takeoff Momday morning, the airline confirmed.

Dozens of people aboard a United Airlines flight from Africa to the U.S. were injured, six seriously, according to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

The airline’s Boeing 787-8 from Lagos, Nigeria to Washington, D.C., on Thursday “returned to Lagos after a technical issue and an unexpected aircraft  movement,” United told FOX Business via email.

After landing safely back in Lagos, four passengers and two flight attendants were taken to the hospital for minor injuries and have since been released, the airline said.

An additional 27 passengers and five crew members “had minor injuries,” FAAN said in a statement shared on X.

UNITED AIRLINES ANNOUNCES ‘ACCELERATED’ STARLINK TIMELINE FOR PASSENGERS

A Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from United Airlines lands at Barcelona airport in Barcelona, Spain, on Sept. 2, 2024. (Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto / Getty Images)

United flight 613 was carrying 245 passengers, eight flight attendants and three pilots at the time of the incident.

The aircraft did not sustain “any major damage,” FAAN said.

“We are working with aviation authorities in the U.S. and Nigeria to understand the cause,” United said.

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES MAKES CHANGE REDUCING PASSENGER MOVEMENT IN EFFORT TO LOWER INJURY RISK

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UAL UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS INC. 105.00 +2.00 +1.94%

BA THE BOEING CO. 176.03 -2.42 -1.36%

Passengers wait for their luggage after arriving United Airlines flights at O’Hare International Airport on Dec. 13, 2022, in Chicago, Illinois. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)

“The public may not know for a couple of weeks to a month but the investigators are going to know within a couple of days,” Jeff Guzzetti, a former accident investigator for the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board told the New York Times.

“They’re going to download the flight data recorder and they’re going to interview the flight crew and also listen to the cockpit voice recorder,” he said.

Earlier this month, an Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aborted its takeoff from Melbourne Airport in Australia for technical reasons, according to reports.

A logo is seen on the Boeing stand on the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow 2024, south-west of London, on July 22, 2024. (JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Etihad Airways Flight EY461 from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi began its acceleration on the runway just at around 7 p.m. before slamming on the brakes and coming to a stop.

“The flight crew decided to halt the take-off for technical reasons, the aircraft was safely brought to a stop on the runway and emergency services attended as a precaution,” Etihad Airways told UAE state-owned newspaper The National.

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The Sydney Morning Herald reported that a passenger on the plane said two tires burst after the landing gear caught fire.

FOX Business’ Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

January 26, 2025
Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter says working conditions led to gambling-related crimes in letter to judge

Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, sent a letter to Judge John W. Holcomb, asking for leniency in his sentencing and outlining the reasons for his gambling issues.

Mizuhara committed bank fraud and tax fraud as he stole nearly $17 million of Ohtani’s money to pay off gambling debts.

Federal prosecutors asked for a 57-month prison sentence, while also asking Mizuhara to pay $16.9 million of restitution to Ohtani, and another $1.1 million to the IRS.

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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) with translator Ippei Mizuhara against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training baseball game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA Today Sports)

Mizuhara asked for an 18-month sentence in prison, while revealing the factors in his life that drove him to gamble, in his letter obtained by The Athletic.

Mizuhara said he has sacrificed his life and his family’s lives since becoming Ohtani’s interpreter/manager in late 2017.

“Usually, when a Japanese baseball player makes the move to the United States, they would bring over multiple staff members to take care of various tasks, such as a driver, trainer, chef, off-the-field interpreter/support member, etc. However, I was the only person Shohei brought along,” Mizuhara said in the letter.

“So naturally, I had to support him with most of the above-mentioned tasks. I drove him everywhere he needed to be, went on frequent grocery runs, ran random errands whenever he needed them, so I felt like I was on call 24/7.”

SHOHEI OHTANI’S EX-INTERPRETER IMPERSONATED DODGERS STAR TO PUSH THROUGH 6-FIGURE WIRE TRANSFER, AUDIO REVEALS

Ippei Mizuhara, the translator for Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, during an introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium. (Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports)

Mizuhara said the busy baseball schedule, combined with the international time difference dealing with Ohtani’s management team in Japan, would keep him up late at night on the phone, causing him to lose sleep.

Mizuhara said the offseason was more difficult than the baseball season, due to Ohtani’s demanding schedule.

“The offseason was much harder both physically and mentally. Shohei would train 5-6 times per week, and I was responsible for reserving the facility, setting up and cleaning up all of the practice equipment, filming and tracking all of his exercises, being his training partner (as it was just him and I during all of the offseason training), driving him back and forth, and communicating all of this back to the Angels and his personal pitching/hitting/rehabilitation people in the United States.”

“I would also be running daily errands such as grocery shopping, checking his mailbox, fixing his bicycle, accompanying him when he went back to Iwate Prefecture to visit his family, taking his dog to the vet and groomer, dropping off and picking up his dinners with peers while I waited in the car, helping to coordinate Japanese and U.S. lawyers for his marriage prenup and attending meetings, etc.”

In addition to those tasks, Mizuhara said he was responsible for communicating with the endorsement and brokerage companies to set up Ohtani’s commercial shoots. Those shoots were once per week in between offseason training, leaving Mizuhara with little time off.

SHOHEI OHTANI’S FORMER INTERPRETER IPPEI MIZUHARA AGREES TO PLEAD GUILTY TO FEDERAL BANK, TAX FRAUD CHARGES

Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani (right) and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara attend the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium. (Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports)

With all the work he was doing for Ohtani, Mizuhara said he felt severely underpaid. Mizuhara said the Angels paid him $85,000 in 2018, $87,000 from 2019 to 2021, $99,611.16 in 2022, and $250,000 in 2023; but Ohtani paid him roughly $11,000 per year.

“I felt like I was getting severely underpaid, but I was afraid to speak up for myself, as I was on a one-year contract every year, and I didn’t want to upset them and risk being fired,” Mizuhara said.

JAPANESE PHENOM ROKI SASAKI SAYS HE WANTS TO TRY AN ‘AMERICAN HAMBURGER’ AFTER SIGNING WITH THE DODGERS

Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani (left) and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara (right) pose with Los Angeles Rams mascot Rampage (center) at SoFi Stadium. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

Another challenge of working for Ohtani was that Mizuhara had to live close by to Ohtani, which meant he had to pay higher rent to have a place near him.

“All of these extra expenses were taking a huge toll on me, and I was living paycheck to paycheck. There were months when I had to borrow money from family and friends to make ends meet.”

Mizuhara said he had opportunities to help himself financially, “such as writing books, doing TV/radio interviews, and appearing in TV commercials, which would have helped me financially, but they were all shut down by Shohei and his company in Japan.”

Among the salary, high demands of his job, and not being able to make any money for himself on the side, Mizuhara said he thought gambling might be an opportunity to help himself financially.

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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani talks with translator Ippei Mizuhara in the dugout against the San Francisco Giants during a spring training baseball game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA Today Sports)

“Before I knew it, my gambling debt had grown so much that I couldn’t find any way to pay it off but by using Shohei’s money,” Mizuhara said. “I felt terribly guilty about putting my hands on his money, but at the time, it seemed like the only solution.”

Mizuhara can now only hope that Judge Holcomb can find some sympathy for him in his sentencing, with his side of the story now out there.

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Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for Fox News Digital.

January 24, 2025
Ravens’ Mark Andrews breaks silence after critical drop in playoffs led to death threats: ‘Absolutely gutted’

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews has spoken for the first time since his crucial dropped two-point conversion in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

Andrews took the high road despite facing ridicule and even death threats after a 27-25 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

“It’s impossible to adequately express how I feel,” Andrews wrote on his Instagram page. “I’m absolutely gutted by what happened on Sunday. I’m devastated for my teammates, my coaches and Ravens fans.

“I pour every ounce of my being into playing at the highest level possible, because I love my team and the game of football like nothing else. That is why it’s taken me until now to collect my thoughts and address this publicly.

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Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews drops a pass on a two-point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills in a 2025 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. (Gregory Fisher/Imagn Images)

“Even though the shock and disappointment are unlike anything I’ve felt before, I refuse to let the situation define me. I promise that this adversity will only make me stronger and fuel us as we move forward.

“I thank everyone who has shown me and our team genuine support these past several days. Despite the negativity, I’ve seen heartfelt love and encouragement, including from those who have generously donated to the Breakthrough T1D organization. Even when the moment seems darkest, perspective can reveal that there’s still a lot of light in this world.

“I’m now going to do my part to bounce back and contribute to it. #GodBless”

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A GoFundMe was launched by the “Bills Mafia,” which has raised over $100,000 for Andrews’ foundation. The Ravens addressed the classy move by the Bills fan base Wednesday.

“Shout out to Bills Mafia for showing support to our guy Mark Andrews and donating to the @BreakthroughT1D organization, which works towards curing and improving the lives of those dealing with Type 1 diabetes,” a Ravens’ X post said.

Andrews’ drop couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Ravens because a successful two-point conversion would’ve tied the game in Orchard Park, New York, at 27 with less than two minutes to play in the fourth quarter.

Mark Andrews of the Baltimore Ravens drops a pass on a two-point conversion attempt during the second half of a divisional playoff game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium Jan. 19, 2025, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson threw the ball perfectly to his usually trusty tight end running toward the right pylon, but Andrews couldn’t secure it in the frigid, snowy conditions. And the reaction said it all from the Ravens on the field and the sideline.

The Bills knew they had escaped potential defeat if the game had gone to overtime. Instead, the Bills are heading to Kansas City this weekend for another chapter of their rivalry with the Chiefs.

Andrews’ teammates were quick to console him on the sideline, where he looked shocked at what had transpired. And though he admitted feeling gutted after the game, Jackson defended Andrews, saying it was a team loss.

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews runs the ball against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at Huntington Bank Field. (Scott Galvin/Imagn Images)

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Andrews, the third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft has played seven seasons with Baltimore. He finished his 2024 campaign with a career-high 11 receiving touchdowns among his 55 receptions for 673 yards.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 23, 2025