AOL Real Estate - Blog http://realestate.aol.com/blog AOL Real Estate - Blog http://realestate.aol.com/blog/media/feedlogo.gif AOL Real Estate - Blog http://realestate.aol.com/blog en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Flush From NBC Payday, Conan Lists CPW Penthousehttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/09/flush-from-nbc-payday-conan-lists-cpw-penthouse/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/09/flush-from-nbc-payday-conan-lists-cpw-penthouse/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/09/flush-from-nbc-payday-conan-lists-cpw-penthouse/#commentsFiled under: ,

Conan O'Brien"Sorry if I'm a little late," Conan O'Brien told his audience in the midst of the late night shakeup last month. "I had a job interview at Lady Foot Locker."

Hardly. Last month, the former "Tonight Show" host walked away with a reported $32.5 million payout from NBC (not to mention an additional $12 million he negotiated for his staff). And this week, the New York Post reported that O'Brien's Central Park West Manhattan penthouse is for sale for $35 million. (Needless to say, Lady Foot Locker may have to wait).

Does the cow-licked comedian plan to leave New York? Or is he just cashing in on the penthouse he and wife Liza purchased in 2007 for $10 million?O'Brien's duplex is located in the historic twin-towered Majestic which faces Central Park. Constructed in 1931, the 29-story Art Deco building contains 238 apartments. Some of its famous residents have included columnist Walter Winchell and members of the Luciano crime family (noted mobster Frank Costello was said to have a 17 room spread). In fact, many of the original apartments had fireplaces, large foyers and black walnut floors. Current residents have a playroom, private garden and solarium at their disposal.

O'Brien and his wife already owned a 17th floor apartment and ended up combining both apartments. The sprawling co-op faces the south, has three terraces and stellar Central Park views. The famed Dakota where Yoko Ono and Carly Simon reside is right across the street.

The talk show star is flush with offers (Fox is said to be a major contender), but under terms of his separation from NBC, he must wait until September 1st to pursue opportunities from other networks. While he mulls things over, he still has his $10.75 million 6-bedroom, 8.5-bath Brentwood manse, which he purchased in 2008 before his "Tonight Show" tenure.

 

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]]>Central Park Westconan obrienLate showMajesticManhattanNew Yorktonight showJeryl Brunner2010-02-09T11:30:00 00:00Three Times' a (Hamptons) Charm for SJP and Broderickhttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/09/three-times-a-hamptons-charm-for-sjp-and-broderick/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/09/three-times-a-hamptons-charm-for-sjp-and-broderick/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/09/three-times-a-hamptons-charm-for-sjp-and-broderick/#commentsFiled under:

"Sex in the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker and husband Mathew Broderick are amassing a Hamptons compound.

The dynamic duo has added a third home to their Hamptons, Long Island portfolio, reveals the New York Post. The couple purchased their first two neighboring oceanfront homes in Amagansett for $4.6 million and $2 million. The latest property, also in Amagansett, was quietly snapped up in 2008 for $5.8 million.

The couple, who last June became the parents of twin daughters and have a son James, also own properties in Manhattan's West Village and in County Donegal, Ireland.
The couple (they really need a nickname.... can we call them Mathra? SJ-Bro?) has been a Hamptons fixture for years. They are frequently spotted around town in the summer --- at the beach or dining at the Golden Pear eatery. And Broderick is currently shooting "Beach Lane," an NBC pilot set in the Hamptons about a newspaperman hired by a millionaire to run an East End paper.

There are no details yet about the new home. But their 19th-century Amagansett farmhouse, recently featured in Elle Decor, has a cozy and relaxed vibe. "It was important that the house not be too precious. We didn't want anything stuffy or showy," Parker told Elle Decor, The actress best known for her expensive shoe fetish is actual rather thrifty. She decorated the home with antiques from thrift stores and items from IKEA. "We wanted color and light, and comfort, comfort, comfort," she added.

Parker, who has described her childhood with seven siblings as "Dickensian," will no doubt have plenty of that.

 

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]]>hamptonshamptons real estatematthew brodericksarah jessica parkersex and the cityJeryl Brunner2010-02-09T09:45:00 00:00Madoff's Upper East Side Penthouse Is Soldhttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/08/madoffs-upper-east-side-penthouse-is-sold/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/08/madoffs-upper-east-side-penthouse-is-sold/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/02/08/madoffs-upper-east-side-penthouse-is-sold/#commentsFiled under: ,

After days of suspense, the buyer for Ponzi King Bernie Madoff's Upper East Side penthouse hs been revealed: it is Alfred Kahn, chief executive of 4Kids Entertainment, according to a New York Post scoop. Kahn is famous for marketing hit toys such as Cabbage Patch dolls and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

This past September, US Marshals appointed Sotheby's International Realty brokers Anne Corey and Serena Boardman to sell the 7-room co-op apartment at 133 East 64th Street, which was originally listed for $9.9 million. A possible sale was first reported in late January.

The Upper East Side aerie was one of several Madoff-owned properties that were seized. There was also the Hamptons ocean front home, a mansion in Palm Beach, a villa in Cap d'Antibes, France and several yachts, including a 55-foot 1969 Rybovich called "Bull." Proceeds from the sale are said to help pay back the legions of investors that Madoff bilked in his $65 billion Ponzi scheme.
Reduced to $8.9 million in November, the 3-bedroom, 4.5-bath prewar co-op has a sprawling wrap-around terrace with impressive skyline views, an ample living room, a kitchen with solarium windows and marble/stainless steel countertops, French doors, and an elliptical staircase. The master bedroom contains an enormous walk-in closet with custom made cedar drawers and a marble bathroom. And there are other nice touches like four wood burning fireplaces, herringbone hardwood floors, hand-carved moldings and 12-foot-high ceilings.

It's quite the contrast from the con artist's current digs where he is sentenced to remain for 150 years: a 5'x9' cell with two bunk beds, a toilet and a sink at the Butner Federal Correctional Facility.

In September 2009, when Deputy US Marshal Roland Ubaldo gave the New York Post a guided video tour of Bernard Madoff's seized Manhattan penthouse, he noted, "although the name Madoff is attached to it, we believe the dark cloud has lifted, and we're going to get prospective buyers for this apartment."

Well, some Cabbage Patch dolls and Mutant Ninja Turtles should certainly lighten up the mood.

 

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]]>Bernard Madoffbernie madoffDuplexManhattannew york cityPenthousePonzi Schemeupper east sideJeryl Brunner2010-02-08T14:45:00 00:00Taylor Swift Dishes on Designhttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/29/taylor-swift-dishes-on-design/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/29/taylor-swift-dishes-on-design/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/29/taylor-swift-dishes-on-design/#commentsFiled under: ,

Last month, in our story about Taylor Swift, we mentioned that the songbird was flying the parental coup. Swift and had purchased a 4,063 square foot 3 bedroom, 4 .5 bathroom penthouse in downtown Nashville for $1,990,000 million.

And now, decorating is on her mind.

According to Rolling Stone, the superstar plans to construct a moat-like pond around her living room fireplace. And what's a pond without koi fish? "I have really, really just strange kind of imagination," she told the show, Extra. "All of the crazy things that I thought of when I was in second grade that I thought it would be cool to put into a condo." And how does she describe her style? She told Oprah Winfrey that it's mostly "whimsical quirky eclectic tree house," and added " I just really want it to be different from everywhere else I see."

Swift has thrived on being different and standing out from her peers. She first started visiting Nashville from her native Pennsylvania at twelve. By thirteen, she was writing songs and landed a development deal with RCA. And she's the first country artist to ever win a Video Music Award.

Learn more about her plans for her new pad...Ever creative, it makes sense that her new condo would reflect her unique sense of style. "You step on a stepping stone in the pond in order to get on a spiral staircase, which takes you up to the human-sized bird cage observatory," Taylor told Rolling Stone about her decorating plans. "They're delivering a human-sized birdcage, which I'll put a brass telescope in. The ceiling of my living room is painted like the night sky."

Her condo will be different from her current digs chez mom and dad in a Nashville surburb. At home, the room that she grew up in is mostly swathed in pink and purple. And her new sprawling 18"x14" closet will be a far cry from the tiny one in her childhood bedroom. "I'm really excited because all my friends moved out and went to college last year ," she told Oprah Winfrey. "And I'm getting those phone calls where they're like, 'Still living with Mom and Dad, huh?'" But not for much longer...

 

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]]>condodecoratinginterior designmoving outNashvillepondTaylor SwiftJeryl Brunner2010-01-29T15:14:00 00:00Anderson Cooper's Fire Salehttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/28/anderson-coopers-fire-sale/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/28/anderson-coopers-fire-sale/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/28/anderson-coopers-fire-sale/#commentsFiled under: ,

Celebrity watchers and West Village boys, here's some five alarm news: heart throb Anderson Cooper has bought a Greenwich Village firehouse.

The high-paid CNN newsman and Vanderbilt heir shelled out $4.3 million to purchase the vintage firehouse on West 3rd Street, according to the New York Post.

Built in 1906, the four-story pad has original brass fire poles, murals documenting the fire patrol's history, spiral staircase, a backyard stable and a bust of mercury, the god of speed, over the large front door (HuffPo has pictures of the exterior).

And Cooper is no dummy. The Beaux Arts-style stunner was originally listed for $4.76 million and nominated to be on the National Register of Historic Places. If the building's façade is preserved, that means a nice tax break for the AC-360 anchor. And he will have four times the space than he does at his current penthouse on West 38th.

The New York Post reports that the New York Board Of Fire Underwriters sold the 8,240 square foot property to Firepatrol LLC in September, but neighbors have witnessed Cooper at the property ever since. Although the building is still not approved to be converted to a residence, architect/developer Cary Tamarkin is heading up the work on interiors. And according to city building records, old plumbing fixtures have been removed along with partitions. And the pole? Apparently it stays.

 

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]]>Anderson Cooperbeaux artsFirehousegreenwich villageJeryl Brunner2010-01-28T14:10:00 00:00Mischa Barton, Rent Beaterhttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/22/mischa-barton-rent-beater/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/22/mischa-barton-rent-beater/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/22/mischa-barton-rent-beater/#comments
We're used to seeing glamour girl Mischa Barton photographed in fashionable duds and armed with shopping bags. But turns out the actress, who rocketed to fame with The OC, can't pay her rent.

Barton who moved to New York City in September, is being sued for non-payment of rent on her $7,000-a month loft rental in artsy and chic Tribeca. She's fled from the tony pad. But according to the lawsuit by MRA Realties, she owes three months worth of rent on the loft ($21,300) plus legal fees.This past fall, Barton relocated to New York to film the new TV show, The Beautiful Life. The CW series fell on the much chronicled heels of her stay in a psychiatric hospital in July "It was like a perfect storm... everything happened at once. I was overwhelmed," she announced on the View in September about her breakdown. "I had too much work and surgeries on my wisdom teeth and was in excruciating pain." Before then, in December 2007, she had been arrested for marijuana possession, DUI and driving without a license.

Barton saw her move to New York as an opportunity to start anew. As she told the women of the View, "I've just been doing everything I can to keep my job happy and healthy and I've moved to New York with my two dogs and I have a great apartment I just got." (Apparently, just not great enough to bother paying for).

The Beautiful Life (which was produced by Ashton Kutcher) was canceled after two episodes. But Barton is still in New York and appearing in Law and Order: SUV playing a pregnant prostitute named Gladys. Her work on the series wraps this week. And hopefully, her troubles will wrap soon too.








 

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]]>mischa bartonMischaBartonnew york cityNewYorkCityJeryl Brunner2010-01-22T18:30:00 00:00Cher Sells Hawaiian Home for $8.7 Milhttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/22/an-arizona-buyer-bids-aloha-to-chers-hawaiian-home/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/22/an-arizona-buyer-bids-aloha-to-chers-hawaiian-home/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/22/an-arizona-buyer-bids-aloha-to-chers-hawaiian-home/#commentsFiled under:

She found someone... at least for one of the two multi-million-dollar homes Cher's been trying to unload.

Actually, Concierge Auctions found a buyer from Arizona to pay $8.7 million at an auction on Jan. 18 for Cher's 6 bedroom Balinese-style spread in Kona Hawaii. Located at the Four Seasons' Hualalai, the palatial property contains detached bungalows and a vast infinity pool overlooking the resort's Hualalai Golf Course and Pacific Ocean. There are also panoramic sea views from many rooms.

While the pop icon never lived there, in 2004, she purchased the .76 acre plot for $2.9 million. She designed the property herself and construction was complete in 2009. The deal also includes the home's custom artwork and furnishings.



Cher, who made headlines for reportedly earning $180 million on her recent comeback show at Caesars Palace, has a real estate portfolio that includes properties in London, Aspen and West Hollywood.

Hopefully, she will have the same luck with her 13,126 square foot Italian Renaissance style Malibu manse on 1.7 acres. The 7-bedroom estate featured in Architectural Digest in 2002, was originally listed for $45 in August 2008. It's now a steal for $41 million.

 

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]]>california realspsnotreqdestateceleb homescelebrity homescherhawaii realspsnotreqdestatemalibu realspsnotreqdestatevacation homesJeryl Brunner2010-01-22T16:00:00 00:00Christina Aguilera's Home Back On The Markethttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/19/christina-aguileras-home-back-on-the-market/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/19/christina-aguileras-home-back-on-the-market/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/19/christina-aguileras-home-back-on-the-market/#commentsFiled under: ,

Are the rich and famous really that different than you and me? Actually, when it comes to trying to sell their show-stopping homes... no.

Take the case of pop goddess Christina Aguilera. In April, 2008, Aguilera and music producer husband, Jordan Bratman, listed their five bedroom, seven bath mod home for $7,995,000. Despite the owners' star status and the fact that the home boasts a state-of the-art screening room, a gym, a pool, a 1,200-square foot master suite and view-enhancing glass walls, it still didn't sell.

As even we mere mortals know, nothing looks worse than a home that's been on the market too long with no buyers. So Aguilera did what anyone would do: she pulled the house from the market to restart the clock, reports The LA Times.

After a brief hiatus from the Multiple Listing Service, the ocean view 6,500-quare foot Hollywood Hills stunner is back on the market with a lower, $6,250,000 price tag. The web site of well-heeled agents Hilton & Hyland calls the digs "triumphant architecture," a "work of art" and a "spectacular Mid Century renovated to perfection."

Gosh. Well it was custom built for Liza Minnelli and her then-husband, the late, Jack Haley, Jr. And the arresting sunk-in living room is quite loft-like,with huge beams running though the ceiling and contains vast terrazzo floors. What's more, the jacuzzi space, with fireplace, fits twelve and overlooks the city lights of Los Angeles.

Aguilera purchased the renovated pad in 2003 for $5 million from Steve Hermann of Hermann Design & Development. Known as the celebrity go-to guy for renovating and designing high-end homes, his clients include Courtney Cox and David Arquette. (Jennifer Lopez and Ellen DeGeneres are also fans).

According to Hermann, Aguilera was instantly smitten with the sleek contemporary which sits at the end of a cul-de-sac and presides high in the Hills. "It's this a type of house a designer waits his whole life to get a hold of," Hermann told Beautiful Homes and Great Estates. "It's not a box, it's not four walls...It really is a unique architectural style style onto it itself."

And it's fresh on the market, to boot.

 

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]]>Christina AguileradesignHilton spsnotreqdHylandLiza Minellimid centuryspsnotreqdmodernSteve HermannJeryl Brunner2010-01-19T15:45:00 00:00Kravitz Penthouse Sale Finally Goes His Wayhttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/15/kravitz-penthouse-sale-finally-goes-his-way/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/15/kravitz-penthouse-sale-finally-goes-his-way/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/15/kravitz-penthouse-sale-finally-goes-his-way/#commentsFiled under: ,

Call it a case of the seven year ditch -- that's how long it's taken Lenny Kravitz to unload his 6,000-square foot penthouse loft in Soho.

According to Curbed.com, the rocker first listed the condo in 2002 for $17 million. By 2004, it still hadn't sold, and he cut the price to $12.95 million. 2005? No sale yet. You'd think that the groovy five-bedroom, seven-bath pad with glass staircases and 3,000 square feet of outdoor space would appeal to anyone's inner rock star. Just ask Nicole Kidman and Denzel Washington, who each briefly rented the hipster Crosby Street hideaway.

Guess not. So in 2006, Kravitz took the lair from the market and spent a reported $1 million on renovations -- transforming the space from earthy, dark rocker lair to minimalist, sun-filled chic.

"It was a bit too me," he told New York Magazine about the prior look. "It was brown. It was like some Miles Davis-Isaac Hayes vibe going on up in there." According to the Corcoran listing, there was "no expense spared to create the most luxurious and important property in Soho and in all of downtown Manhattan."When it comes to high-end design, Kravitz is no slouch. He seems to know his way around interior spaces as well as he knows his way around a guitar chord. In 2003, he founded the design firm Kravitz Design, and has since emerged as a respected cutting edge designer with an impressive list of commercial and residential clients.

Kravitz designed the lounge at the Delano Hotel and was the mastermind behind the state-of-the-art recording studio at the Setai in South Beach. "I'll bump into women on the Upper East Side who might not know me for my music, but they know me for my style," he told the New York Times.

But, back to his Soho loft. In 2007, the new and improved duplex was back on sale for a cool $19.5 million. Well, it does have some very special details. On the first floor, there's a grand entrance, a terrace with a wood burning fireplace, a living room with marble fireplace, dining room, media room with full bath, and a state-of-the-art kitchen -- also with a bath. A suspended glass staircase leads to the master bedroom upstairs, which features a sitting area and yes, a gigantic master bath. There are three additional bedrooms and each has its own bath (natch). Need more space? A second glass staircase leads to a sprawling roof deck with a built-in barbecue.

Despite all the bells, whistles and rock star cache, it was still not spoken for. So in November 2009, the price came down to $14.9 million. "It's not negotiable at all at this price; it's a great deal," Corcoran's Andrea Wohl Lucas told the New York Observer at the time. "It will sell."

Looks like Wohl Lucas was on the money. The property Kravitz purchased in 2001 for somewhere between $7 and $8 million has just gone into contract for the $14.9 million asking price. (As Kravitz might croon, It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over.)

Kravitz still has plenty of space for storing his guitars, drums and keyboards, however. The rocker, who mostly spends time in his 16th arrondissement digs in Paris, also has homes in New Orleans, the Bahamas and Rio de Janeiro.

 

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]]>celebritycorcoran groupCrosby St.Lenny Kravitzmew yorkspsnotreqdpenthousesohoJeryl Brunner2010-01-15T15:00:00 00:00Vince Vaughn Swings for Real Estate Agenthttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/07/vince-vaughn-swings-for-real-estate-agent/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/07/vince-vaughn-swings-for-real-estate-agent/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/07/vince-vaughn-swings-for-real-estate-agent/#commentsFiled under: ,

Isn't it said that if you want good hair, marry a hairdresser? So perhaps, if you're seeking edge on the real estate market, marry a realtor. That's what Vince Vaughn, did this past Saturday, when he tied the knot with Kyla Weber, a top-notch realtor from Calgary. "She's a civilian, which is good," Vaughn told Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa. "She makes me laugh. She is wonderful. I'm just thrilled," he revealed to Ellen DeGeneres.

The pair, who met through mutual friends, became engaged last Valentines Day when Vaughn, 39, proposed with a four-carat $125,000 diamond ring. The couple has been spotted together around the globe - walking throughout Rome, lying on the beach in Cabo San Lucas and hanging in Bora Bora while the actor was shooting "Couples Retreat." Although Weber, 29, is still listed as an agent with the Calgary firm Royal LePage Solutions, which handles both commercial and residential properties, she has been living with Vaughn in Los Angeles and Chicago since last year.
The nuptials were held before 65 friends and family in the Great Hall of the historic Armour House at Lake Forest Academy in Lake Forest, Illinois. Listed on the registry of history places, the mansion is near his Chicago penthouse apartment in the Palmolive Building. In fact, the wedding weekend was kicked off by a New Year's Eve party in Vaughn's pad. "The Wedding Crashers" star purchased the duplex for $12,000,000 in 2006 - which was said, at the time, to be one of the most expensive condos ever sold in Chicago.

Back in September Vaughn told People that now that he's with Weber babies are in their immediate future, "It's the first time that I really want to have kids," he said. "I've been very fortunate in my career, and my life has been about that for so long that you get bored of it. You're ready for your life to be about other people and other things." And with an ample 7,880 square feet in the 37-story art deco building, there's plenty of room for an expanding brood. Once owned by Hugh Hefner, it was known as the Playboy building and the name was emblazoned on both sides in nine foot illuminated letters.

Vaughn is no slouch himself when it comes to real estate. Earlier this year, he offered to lease his 4,063-square-foot town house for $9,500, which he purchased in 2005 for $1.4 million. Set in Chicago's River North section, the property features a rooftop deck with expansive city views, a custom made home theater, a state of the art kitchen with a SubZero refrigerator, granite countertops, and a 48-inch Viking range, and a master bedroom containing a bathroom with steam shower and Jacuzzi and walk-in closets.

Vaughn, who grew up in Buffalo Grove and Lake Forest, Illinois, will most likely maintain his roots in Chicago. "It really isn't like any other place. The architecture and the layout of the city are the best," the actor told Chicago Magazine. I'm from the Midwest, and consider myself a Midwesterner. I feel most at home there. I love California. I have great friends in California. I just have always considered Illinois to be home."

 

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]]>chicagoKyla WeberVince VaughnJeryl Brunner2010-01-07T17:00:00 00:00Victoria Kennedy Downsizeshttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/07/victoria-kennedy-downsizes/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/07/victoria-kennedy-downsizes/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/07/victoria-kennedy-downsizes/#commentsSometimes change is a very good thing. And Victoria Reggie Kennedy (aka "Vicki"), widow of Senator Edward M.Kennedy is undergoing several of them since her husband died in August 2009. In fact, last month, President Obama announced that he is appointing her to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. And now she's downsizing. Seventy-two hours after Realtor Jim Bell listed the historic 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom Naftalin Estate in Washington DC's Kalorama neighborhood, Kennedy snagged it for $1,650,000 million.

Located on Wyoming Avenue, the 3,150-square-foot home was built in 1959 and originally listed for $3.6 million. The average list price for the area is $2,628,759, but Bell believes that the timing was in Kennedy's favor. "The holidays are actually an excellent time to buy or list luxury real estate," said Bell who announced the sale on December 11. "Over the past several years, we have sold a large volume of luxury real estate properties during the holiday season spanning November 1st through January1st."

In his NPR interview with Kennedy last week, Scott Simon acknowledged that her Washington D.C. manse near Embassy Row was for sale. "It's more warm than grand," he said. "Their furniture is overstuffed and comfortable, but Vicki Kenedy says her husband still loved to sit outside in the sun on their patio, even on cold days, declaring: Isn't this day magnificent?" In fact, her traditional new townhouse is about 75 percent smaller than her current home. Yet Kennedy, an accomplished attorney, who was married to the Senator for 17 years isn't eyeing her late husband's Massachusetts Senate seat. "It was never of interest to me," she offered to Simon. " I felt like that we had Senator Kennedy in our household. Teddy was the senator."

 

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]]>Jeryl Brunner2010-01-07T12:30:00 00:00Hankering for a Big Househttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/06/hankering-for-a-big-house/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/06/hankering-for-a-big-house/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/01/06/hankering-for-a-big-house/#commentsFiled under:

As a boy, Tom Hanks was never able to establish roots in one locale. His parents split when Hanks was five, after which he lived with his father and two siblings, who bounced around from home to home and wife to wife, often with several children of their own all crowded under the same roof. By the time he was ten, "I had three mothers, five grammar schools and ten houses," the actor told Time magazine.

So you can understand the now-superstar's desire to supersize his living space. Hanks and wife Rita Wilson recently forked over $20,000,000 for a 4 bedroom, 5-bathroom Pacific Palisades manse, as was recently disclosed by Realestalker.com. If the reports are true, the "Big" star is trading up from his longtime 6,289-square-foot home in the same tony LA enclave, to the 14,513 square foot hilltop house, which he bought from the Oscar-nominated husband and wife producer team Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy ("Bourne Identity," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Schindler's List," "Jurrassic Park," and "E.T.," among their credits).Curiously enough, Kennedy and Marshall produced Hanks' 1986 film, "The Money Pit." But this three-story estate sounds like no fixer-upper.

The new three-story home has a tree-lined motor court, swimming pool, sweeping terrace and a curvilinear façade. It was designed by Gwathmey Siegal & Associates, whose clients have included Steven Spielberg and Jerry Seinfeld.

The spacious digs surely appeal to Hanks' wife as well. Wilson (who has appeared in ("It's Complicated," "Perfume," and "Runaway Bride") recently announced on "The View," "I keep everything. It's very hard to let go of the clothes in my closet." Should her new closets fill up, the couple also owns several other properties in the area, in addition to a $2.950 million property further up the coast in Malibu, purchased in 1991.

 

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]]>Bigcelebrity realspsnotreqdestatelos angelespacific palisadesRita Wilsontom hanksJeryl Brunner2010-01-06T16:00:00 00:00Gosselin Love Shack Ransackedhttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/31/gosselin-love-shack-ransacked/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/31/gosselin-love-shack-ransacked/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/31/gosselin-love-shack-ransacked/#commentsFiled under:


It is said that every story has three sides. His, hers and the truth.

That particularly appears to the be the case with Jon Gosselin and his ex, Hailey Glassman. The facts -- especially surrounding the recent ransacking of his Manhattan lair -- always seem rather murky and a little too public as their soap opera continues to be played out before millions.

in case you've been living under a rock for the past year, Gosselin is the recently divorced father of eight (including six-year-old sextuplets) who rose to fame with the reality show, Jon and Kate Plus Eight, which chronicled he and former wife Kate's madcap lives with their bulging brood. In true reality tv form, the Gosselins announced their separation on their show in June.
Enter Glassman. Aged 22, she is Kate's plastic surgeon's daughter. "Homewrecker Hailey," as she has been called, is said to have inspired the demise of the Gosslin's union -- a charge Glassman denies. But by July, she was gushing to People magazine about her new squeeze.

Early in the summer, Gosselin had rented a two-bedroom 1,100 square foot luxury pad on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The 202-unit building, built in 1991, offers amenities such as a pool, hot tub, gym and even a play space for children. (No stranger to attention, the building had fifteen minutes of fame when it was home to Hugh Grant's character in the film Music and Lyrics).

Meanwhile, despite a steamy vacation in St. Tropez and reports that Gosselin had lavished a $180,000 engagement ring upon his new love, things turned ugly. On the TV show The Insider, Glassman likened Gosselin to "Jekyll and Hyde" and said that she felt "emotionally abused." For his part, Gosselin sought spiritual counsel, coming to the realization that he was "carried away by the challenges of fame," and needed to reconnect with his deeper being and take a break. (Jon, we could all use a break from you!)

The story took an even more bizarre turn on Saturday before New Year's. After spending the holidays with his brood, Gosselin returned to his Upper West Side pad and found it completely ransacked. His clothing, furniture, mattress curtains, shoes, rug and 100-year old Ming vase had been sliced with a butcher knife "by a very troubled and sick perpetrator," Gosselin's lawyer, Mark Jay Heller, told RadarOnline.com. A note, allegedly with Glassman's name, was speared to a bureau, and "Cheater" was carved into the headboard.

Glassman and her parents have been questioned by authorities, but the 22-year old claims she's been framed. "It appears to be a huge, huge, publicity stunt and nothing else," explained her attorney Anand Ahuja. Moreover, Glassman insists that the former love nest was shared. "Fyi, that apartment everyone calls 'Jon's Apartment' was MY apartment as well," she wrote. "We split rent! He's been living off my family and I."

And where did she share that tidbit? On Twitter, of course!

 

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]]>Hailey GlassmanHaileyGlassmanjon gosselinJonGosselinUpper West SideUpperWestSideJeryl Brunner2009-12-31T14:39:00 00:00Taylor Swift Flies the Coophttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/30/taylor-swift-flies-the-coop/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/30/taylor-swift-flies-the-coop/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/30/taylor-swift-flies-the-coop/#commentsFiled under:

This past November, after winning Country Music Association awards for Best Album, Best Female Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year, Taylor Swift Tweeted about how she celebrated:

"Just wrapped up a cereal party with my mom and dad at the kitchen table," wrote the country music sensation the morning after her victory. "What a night."

But Swift, who turned 20 on December 13th may do a little less time at the family's table now. This past October, the superstar announced to Oprah that she's leaving the parental crib for her own newly purchased Nashville condo. It has been said that the 4,063 square foot 3 bedroom 4 .5 bathroom penthouse in the city's downtown section cost $1,990,000 million.

"I'm really excited because all my friends moved out and went to college last year and I'm getting those phone calls where they're like, 'Still living with Mom and Dad, huh?'" says Swift who moved with her family to Nashville from their native Wyomissing Pennsylvania when she was 14. As her brother and mother waited for her in car, she would pound Music Row's pavement with demo CDs begging anyone to listen. "So now I'm working on moving out. I'm doing all kinds of construction. That's all I talk about now, tiles and paint and stuff. It's really boring."
Swift's life has been anything but "boring." Of course there was the VMA incident this past September when Kanye West kidnapped her acceptance speech during her win for Best Female Video. And before that, remember Joe Jonas' much publicized 28-second call to Swift that he was dropping her?

According to the wisdom of the Talmud, living well is the greatest revenge. And the superstar plans to do just that. At her new digs, Swift will have access to an Olympic length pool, a 3,000 square foot gym with a yoga/pilates room, a private dog park and a round the clock concierge. Her spacious pad boasts an 80 square foot wine storage room, wrap around balcony, entertainment room, a double height living room with a free standing fireplace and a very enviable 18' x 14' walk-in closet. Swift has explained that her style tends to lean towards "whimsical quirky eclectic..." adding " I just really want it to be different from everywhere else I see." In fact, she told Winfrey that she hoped to have a tree house in the living room.

However, Swift swears that she won't go overboard. "I was raised by a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch," she says about her father. "Before I could talk, he was talking to me about where my money was invested. I don't like to make extravagant expenses unless it's putting back into my career. So the biggest thing I've bought is a tour bus." Roll on baby.

 

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]]>condonashvilletaylor swifttennesseeJeryl Brunner2009-12-30T08:30:00 00:00Nicolas Cage Losing His Keys?http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/28/nicolas-cage-losing-his-keys/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/28/nicolas-cage-losing-his-keys/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/28/nicolas-cage-losing-his-keys/#commentsFiled under: ,

Is actor Nicolas Cage having an Icarus moment?

The financially strapped actor continues to plummet, shedding assets as he goes. Cage's most recent offering is his seven-bedroom, 11,817 square foot Bel Air estate on Copa de Oro Road, which boasts an 1,800-bottle wine cellar, ample pool and home theater. After weeks in escrow, the home is back on the market -- and freshly reduced from $17.5 million to $9.95 million.

The manse was listed a year ago for a whopping $29,999 million. Ten years earlier, Cage purchased the sprawling 1940s Tudor for $6,469 million from Tom Jones (who bought it from Dean Martin).

Cage's mess brings to mind the Greek myth of Icarus, the wax-winged boy who, feeling invincible, flew too close to the sun, only to plunge tragically into the sea.
There's no doubt that Cage is a brilliant and talented actor -- one need only recall his fierce performance in Leaving Las Vegas, which garnered a well-deserved Academy Award. But even if you are one of the highest paid movie stars in Hollywood and earn a reported $20 million a film, were all those toys really necessary?

According to reports, the superstar had a comic book collection worth $1.6 million, 22 automobiles (nine of them Rolls Royces), four yachts, a Bahamian island, a Gulfstream jet, and millions sunk into art and jewelry. Add to that $33 million worth of real estate. The actor owned 15 sprawling residences around the world, including a 28-room Bavarian castle on 395-acres, and the Gothic-style Milford Castle in Bath, built in 1775 by Henry Disney Roebuck.

Cage is also contending with the IRS, which claims he owes millions in back taxes and has taken tax liens on some of the actor's remaining properties. Cage says he only recently discovered how disastrous his financial situation really is. As he alleges in a lawsuit against his business manager, Cage is now "forced to sell major assets and investments at a significant loss and is faced with huge tax liabilities." If that's not awful enough, on October 27th, the actor's father passed away after suffering from a heart attack.

According to Cage, his former fraudulent and negligent business manager, Samuel J. Levin, caused his economic ruin. The National Treasure star says that he depended on Levin "to handle his financial affairs to ensure that he and his family would have a financially secure future built on the foundation of the substantial monies Cage earned through years of hard work." And in October, Cage filed a $20 million lawsuit against Levin claiming that the manager did not pay the required taxes, made unsound real estate investments resulting in "catastrophic losses" and "lined his pockets with several million dollars in business management fees." A hearing is set for February 3, 2010 in Beverly Hills.

As the Copa de Oro estate in Los Angeles remains unsold, interested parties can take a detailed virtual tour at www.363copadeoro.com/mls/complete.htm. The stained glass windows, marble fireplaces, elaborate ceiling moldings and outdoor gazebo are irresistible. But would-be buyers of the "goblet of gold" manse might want to keep in mind the lessons or Icarus.

 

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]]>Bel AirBelAirCopa de Oro RoadCopaDeOroRoadlos angelesLosAngelesmansionNicolas CageNicolasCagetom jonesTomJonesJeryl Brunner2009-12-28T11:25:00 00:00Madonna Hops on Hamptons Horse Farmhttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/21/madonna-hops-on-hamptons-horse-farm/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/21/madonna-hops-on-hamptons-horse-farm/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/21/madonna-hops-on-hamptons-horse-farm/#commentsFiled under:


As the saying goes, if you fall off a horse, get back on. Or in the case of Madonna, buy a 30-acre horse farm in toney Bridgehampton, Long Island.

Earlier this month came word that the pop star was purchasing Wild Ocean Farm for under $10 million from owner Kelly Klein, (Calvin Klein's ex). The Material Gal is also eyeing an additional 24 acres adjoining the property, listed for $2.4 million.

Although she's had a few well-documented spills, a resilient Madonna remains undeterred from her passion. "You're flirting with danger when you ride a horse," she recently told David Letterman. "But you see the world of nature in a different way."





This past April, while visiting celebrity lensman and pal Steven Klein at his Bridgehampton estate, Madonna took a tumble. An accomplished rider, the superstar was displaying her equine jumping prowess. She was released from Southampton Hospital sustaining only minor injuries and bruises. However, when she was thrown from a horse at her Wiltshire, UK estate in 2005, the damage was far more serious. The superstar cracked three ribs and broke her hand and collarbone.

Several months ago, Kelly Klein is said to have whispered that she was looking for a buyer for the property, which boasts indoor and outdoor rings for training show horses. Klein and Madonna apparently made the deal without a broker. Actress and horsewoman Stefanie Powers, who sold the property to Klein in 2000, says that the indoor riding ring is particularly special for its craftsmanship. "It's a wonderful place. I hope she's got some good people," said Powers when hearing about Madonna's interest in the farm. "(There is) a lot to keep on top of."

Since local laws restrict building a house on the property, Madonna is also said to be interested in Shady Maple Farm nearby at 549 Mitchell's Lane, to house her staff. Listed at $4.4 million, the 1930s 2 barn, 4 bedroom farmhouse has a 20' x 50' pool and abuts a nature reserve. The estate is owned by architectural designer Michael Minkoff, a friend of Madonna's pal Gwyneth Paltrow.

 

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]]>bridgehamptonhorse farmHorseFarmKelly KleinKellyKleinmadonnaJeryl Brunner2009-12-21T16:00:00 00:00Judge Judy's Home Suite Homehttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/21/judge-judys-home-suite-home/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/21/judge-judys-home-suite-home/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/21/judge-judys-home-suite-home/#commentsFiled under: ,



The law of real estate may be location, location, location. But when it comes to celebrity real estate, there's an additional law (or three): service, service, service.

From Eloise, the fictional six year-old girl who lived on the "tippy-top floor" of the Plaza hotel, to modern day celebs, the well-heeled have long appreciated the perks of hotel living. Add Judy Sheindlin -- better known to tv viewers as the gavel-wielding Judge Judy -- to the list of pampered hotel dwellers.

Sheindlin recently purchased a two-bedroom, 11th-floor apartment at the posh Sherry Netherland. The storied hotel, located at 781 Fifth Ave., has been home to other prominent residents, such as Barbra Streisand, George Burns, William Holden and Diana Ross.



Hotel living has its perks. Imagine all the amenities of a five-star property like daily housekeeping and room service. There's a concierge on hand 24/7 to walk your dog, handle vet visits, book your hair stylist appointments or shop. "Famous people like to live in hotels because of incredible service and history," explains Alan Worden principal of Scout Real Estate Capital. The company owns the newly renovated Martha's Vineyard 1891 icon, the Harbor View Hotel & Resort. "Everything you need is at your fingertips - you live out a fantasy."

Her Honor's 3,150-square foot light-filled aerie was reportedly first listed in October 2008 with a hefty $15,000,000 asking price. Ultimately, the price was reduced to $7,999,000 and the grandma of eleven snatched it up for $6.75 million. It's merely chump change for the syndicated TV star who, in 2007, locked in her perch on CBS's bench through 2013, which earns her a reported $45 million a year.

Sheindlin, who owns properties in Naples, Florida, Los Angeles and Greenwich, Connecticut, and has a yacht called "Her Honor", is said to using the aristocratic digs as a pied-a-terre. There are plenty of ideal spots for curling up with a good book - or legal brief. She can choose from a 30 x 29 foot living room, which offers exceptional views of Central Park, the 21-foot long, wood paneled library, or even the giant-sized bathtub.

But the 5'2" powerhouse seems to take all her success in stride. Before she was discovered and plucked from being your garden-variety family court judge to having the most watched courtroom in America, she was living simply and on the verge of retiring on her $40,000 a year pension. "I would have been happy. A little Social Security, a little bit of equity in an apartment, in a little apartment," Sheindlin told 60 Minutes. "Go down to Florida, buy a two-bedroom condo and eat early birds. That was the idea."

 

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]]>Barbra StreisandBarbraStreisandhotel livingHotelLivingJudge JudyJudgeJudyManhattanSherry NetherlandSherryNetherlandJeryl Brunner2009-12-21T13:00:00 00:00Gisele Catwalks Out of New Yorkhttp://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/17/supermodel-catwalks-out-of-new-york/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/17/supermodel-catwalks-out-of-new-york/http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2009/12/17/supermodel-catwalks-out-of-new-york/#commentsFiled under: ,


Is Gisele Bundchen leaving the Big Apple behind? Just days after the December 8th birth of her son, the Brazilian supermodel sold her West Village prewar townhouse on 42 Barrow Street for $13 million. It had been on the market since September for $13.95 million. Not too shabby.

Bundchen purchased the 5,000 sq ft, 4 bedroom, 6 bath lair -- which boasts amenities such as built-ins and exposed brick, wood-beamed ceilings, seven wood-burning fireplaces and an elevator -- in 2005 for $5.8 million. The new owner, an out-of-state financier, who is expected to use the home as a pied-a-terre, will also probably appreciate the home gym in the cellar.

The sale follows a less successful deal for the supermodel's triplex penthouse at 347 West 11th Street, which she unloaded last month for $4.4 million. Two years ago, the 1,700-square-foot apartment (which featured 2,500 square feet of terrace with an ample hot tub) was listed for $10.9 million. But, hey, the profit on the Barrow Street property will more than make up for the loss.


The Brazilian beauty and her husband, New England Patriot Tom Brady, 31, now spend much of their time shuttling between Boston and Los Angeles, where Brady's son John, 2, lives with his ex-wife Bridget Moynahan. And that seems to perfectly please the Victoria's Secret superstar, who has said that she loves her stepson as "if he were mine." Bundchen is absolutely smitten with the boy. "When we are in L.A. we have Johnny 50 percent of the time," she recently said. "He's a little angel -- the sweetest, most cuddly, loving baby. I feel blessed to have him in my life."

In fact, the newlyweds, who married this past February, spent about $11.7 million for a 3.6-acre vacant lot in a gated community in Brentwood, near Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's palatial 25,000 square foot estate. And if the couple follows the lead of the Governator, they will have plenty of space to expand their brood. "I want to have a big family," she recently said. "I love kids."

 

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]]>babyBarrow StreetBarrowStreetbostongisele bundchenGiseleBundchenlos angelesLosAngelesnew yorkNewYorktom bradyTomBradyJeryl Brunner2009-12-17T17:45:00 00:00