House Hunting? Georges Perrier, Tom Knox, and Dennis Alter Are Selling

There are literally tens of thousands of homes for sale in and around Philadelphia. Here, a look at some of the most expensive ones, with current owners that include a former Ambassador to Austria and other really rich people.

770 Godfrey Road, Villanova
Asking Price: $25 million
Remember The Philadelphia Story? This 10-bedroom home and its 17 acres were carved out of Robert Montgomery’s original Ardrossan Farms estate, the inspiration for the iconic film. William and Nancy Gibson picked it up in 2001 for a cool $7.1 million, money he earned through investment banking.

7111 Sheaff Lane, Fort Washington
Asking Price: $25 million
In happier times, this was the marital home of former Advanta CEO Dennis Alter and his wife, Gisela. But now, the couple has divorced, Advanta is no more, and Alter is selling his 10-bedroom, 15-bathroom home, designed by Kimmel Center architect Rafael Ninoly. Reduced from $30 million. A veritable bargain!

1131 Green Valley Road, Bryn Mawr
Asking Price: $7.99 million
If you’ve always wanted a home modeled after famed French chateau La Lanterne a Versailles—the home of that country’s prime minister—look no further than the home of Jeffrey Orleans, previously of Orleans Homebuilders. Features include a tennis court, game room, sprinkler system, and the fact that the Old Guard House is but a mile down the road.

1010 North Spring Mill Road, Villanova
Asking Price: $7.75 million
Former mayoral and gubernatorial candidate and potential 2014 gubernatorial challenger Tom Knox wants you to buy his house. Did all that self-financed campaigning drain his coffers, or is he just tired of this “spectacular” and “meticulously restored” estate? Who cares when there’s a fireplace in the kitchen.

701 Eagle Farm Road, Villanova
Asking Price: $7.95 million
Originally built in the 1920s for the Fitler family (presumably related to the 19th-century Philadelphia mayor Edwin Fitler, after whom Fitler Square was named), the five-acre Eagleview estate then became a convent for decades. So much for the Vow of Poverty. In the 1990s, it was purchased by prominent Penn Spine Center director Curtis Slipman and his wife Randi, who have since divorced. Guess which one of them got the big house?

1706 Rittenhouse Square, Unit 1401, Philadelphia
Asking Price: $4.9 million
If you really want to get Cliff Lee‘s autograph, buy this 4,200-square-foot condo in one of Philadelphia’s most exclusive addresses, where the Phillies pitcher and his wife Kristen bought another similarly-sized unit for $4.8 million last year. And if you get really lucky, maybe you’ll even get to see him with his shirt off in the building’s pool. Other notable owners: parking magnate Joe Zuritsky and Jonathan Papelbon (yes, another Phillies pitcher).

8872 Towanda Street, Philadelphia
Asking Price: $2.1 million
Your dinner parties will never be the same if you cough up a couple mil to buy the house owned by Le Bec-Fin founding chef Georges Perrier. He bought the 9,000-square-foot home for $2.35 million in 2008. Guessing the wine is not included.

202-14 West Rittenhouse Square, #1006, Philadelphia
Asking Price: $1.9 million
Your name probably isn’t as regal sounding as David Girard-DiCarlo, but that’s OK. If you’ve got the cash, you can live in the former Ambassador to Austria’s 2,000-square-foot home in the Rittenhouse Hotel, with fantastic views of Rittenhouse Square. David and his wife, Constance, bought it in 2003 for $1.6 million.

[PHOTOS: Realtor.com]