Celebrity Real Estate Roundup: Maloof Sells, Britney Buys & More
- Article
By Laura Vecsey
Garden State of mind?
What’s this: New York’s most vibrant Empire State girl is moving to Jersey?
Say it isn’t so, Alicia Keys!
But, alas, news of the Manhattan-raised songstress’s move across the Hudson River and into the Garden State suburbs appears to be true.
Less than a year after Keys and her husband, Swizz Beatz, listed their fabulous $17.95 million SoHo triplex that they bought from Lenny Kravitz, the New York Daily News reported this week that the couple are in negotiations to buy Eddie Murphy’s estate-let in Englewood, NJ.
Looks like a good real estate match.
Murphy and his ex-wife raised five children in the 13,000-square-foot Georgian-style home that includes 7 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, but the actor-comedian has been trying to unload the mansion since 2007.
Keys, meanwhile, appears to be looking for a family-oriented spread. No doubt her toddler son will appreciate the amenity-packed home Murphy left behind, since it includes a bowling alley and arcade room.
Mama Keys and her husband might like the price, too. While Murphy originally sought $30 million, word is that Keys may close the deal for around $12 million.
Beverly Hills minus one housewife
That didn’t take long. One month after listing their mansion for $26 million, “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Adrienne Maloof and her soon-to-be ex-husband, Paul Nassif, have found a buyer.
So much for hard times in real estate.
Of course, it helps that the listing agent for the property — The Agency broker Mauricio Umansky (husband of fellow “RHOBH” star Kyle Richards) — comes equipped with a list of qualified buyers.
It proves that while finding the right partner for a long-lasting marriage may be elusive, finding new buyers for high-end real estate is much less difficult in star-studded Tinsletown.
Suburban spread for Spears
Despite all the drama in her life, Britney Spears has shown reserve in real estate locales, preferring homes out of the white-hot spotlight of Hollywood or Beverly Hills. And, oops, she appears to have done it again!
Word is that Spears and her fiancé have swooped up an $8.5 million house about 45 minutes outside Los Angeles in Thousand Oaks, CA. With a pool, home theater and patios that allow for both privacy and unobstructed views, the Mediterranean-style home will leave Spears lacking for very little.
Philanthropy starts at home
Hedge fund founder John Paulson, who addled the nerves of Occupy Wall Street protesters for the profit he took betting against the U.S. housing market, earned big headlines in The New York Times this week for his $100 million gift to Central Park. The cash is intended by the native New Yorker to help preserve one of the nation’s most celebrated public spaces.
As for other natural settings Paulson enjoys? How about the $48 million mountain estate he bought this past June in Aspen?
Months before announcing the grand gift to his native New York’s most prized park, Paulson bought himself the 90-acre spread that comes with a 23,000-square-foot mansion and guest house that combine for an even 19 bedrooms and 19 bathrooms.
At least Paulson got a steal. Hala Ranch, as it is known, was the Aspen estate of Saudi prince Bandar bin Sultan, who had originally listed the prized property for a whopping $135 million.
