While most of us will never come close to being able to afford a home in this price range, it's fun to dream. There is actually a great deal of variety in the "$50 million plus" range, from urban penthouses, to sprawling estates to beachfront paradises, so I decided to come up with a little sampling of what the big bucks could buy you. Who knows? Maybe you'll come into some cash.
12 E 69th Street, New York, N.Y. -- Listed for $114 million
This 20,000-square-foot townhome-style mansion on New York City's Upper East Side was built in 1884 and has been completely renovated. Spread over six stories, the home offers seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a 2,000-square-foot roof deck, a 23x12 indoor swimming pool, and one of the most luxurious and elegant living environments in all of New York City. The location is also spectacular, in the heart of the Fifth Avenue shopping district, and just steps from Central Park.
Photo Source: Trulia.com.
Address unpublished, Hobe Sound, Fla. -- Listed for $72 million
This 5.5-acre Jupiter Island oceanfront compound was custom built in 2010 for singer Celine Dion and has more than 400 feet of ocean frontage. The 18,000-square-foot estate features a main house as well as five additional buildings, including a double four-bedroom guest house, a tennis house, a pool house, and a beach house. To keep the entire family entertained, there are a total of three pools, two of which are connected and share a custom water park feature.
Source: Trulia.com.
384 Delfern Dr., Los Angeles, Calif. -- Listed for $75 million
This 15,520-square-foot colonial estate has 10 bedrooms, 12.5 bathrooms, and is situated on a seven-acre parcel of land, which is huge for Los Angeles. This extremely luxurious home has incredible attention to detail and some of the most high-end features available.
Source: Trulia.com.
151 E 58th St, New York, N.Y. -- Listed for $98 million
This 9,000-square-foot condo has one of the most impressive views of Central Park and New York City from its soaring living room, which features 24-foot ceilings. This home has some of the most up-to-date technology on the market, and every room features a touchpad that controls lighting, temperature, window shades, and other functions.
Source: Trulia.com.
172 Bliss Canyon Rd, Bradbury, Calif. -- Listed for $68.8 million
This impressive estate features a 32,000-square-foot main house with 40-foot ceilings as well as a guesthouse over its 10-car garage. The property also has a pool house with a state-of-the-art gym, 15-person hot tub, and a 1 million gallon trout pond that is temperature-controlled. 
Source: Trulia.com.
This is just a sampling of the upper tier of U.S. real estate, and it doesn't include the most expensive homes on the market.
For those who dream of being able to afford one of these "trophy homes," consider this: According to Trulia, the cheapest of these would translate to a $335,871 monthly payment on a standard 30-year mortgage, and that is assuming a 20% down payment of almost $13.8 million. Of course, you need to find a bank willing to loan you the other $55 million, which you can be certain will take some convincing.
