Tuesday, July 31, 2012

A $100 Million New York Penthouse For Sale

The triplex penthouse at 150 W. 56th St. was recently listed for $100 million. Evan Joseph/Prudential Douglas Elliman

$100 Million! The Most Expensive Apartment In The Country Hits The Market -- New York Daily News

The 8,000-square foot “one-of-a-kind gem” is believed to have the highest outdoor space in any New York City residence.

The most-expensive apartment in the country — a triplex, wrap-around penthouse on W. 56th Street — can now be yours for just $100 million.

Raphael De Niro, the son of actor Robert De Niro, has the exclusive listing on the 73rd through 76th floor aerie atop CitySpire — the deluxe apartment in the sky owned by Long Island real estate developer Steven Klar.

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More News On The Most Expensive Apartment In The US Hitting The Market

Meet New York City's $100 Million Penthouse For Sale -- Forbes
New York City penthouse lists for $100 million -- Reuters
Every room with a view: America's most expensive apartment hits market for $100 million -- Examiner
An octagon in the clouds: a peek inside New York's $100 million flat -- The Telegraph
Three-Story Penthouse in NYC Asks $100M -- NBC
Steven Klar’s NYC penthouse listed for $100M -- Libn.com
Will CitySpire penthouse get its $100M asking price? -- The Real Deal

Monday, July 30, 2012

Luxury Mountain Home Up For Auction In Idaho

Photo Courtesy of Concierge Auctions

Luxury Mountain Home Up For Auction -- Just Luxe

Have you ever wanted your very own luxury ski resort just steps away from the chair lift? Now may be your chance. The 5,900-sqaure-foot Howard Estate is ready to be auctioned off by Concierge Auctions and Sun Valley Sotheby's International Realty on July 19, 2012. Set at the base of Bald Mountain's slopes, the large luxury home is in Sun Valley, Idaho, one of the world's more popular ski destinations. With no minimum bid required, the tri-level home was originally listed for $5.995 million and offers people the chance to own their dream home or vacation resort.

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My Comment: It looks like an ideal winter vacation home.

Arnold Schwarzenegger And Maria Shriver Struggle To Sell Their $4.5million Santa Barbara Ranch

For sale: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver are struggling to sell their Santa Barbara ranch

Arnold Schwarzenegger And Maria Shriver Struggle To Sell $4.5million Santa Barbara Ranch -- Daily Mail

They have moved on with their lives since splitting in May last year but it hasn’t been so easy for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver to move out of a property they shared together.

The estranged couple have had their Carpinteria ranch on the market, listed at $4.495million, since January, but it seems no one wants to buy the luxury home.

The duo paid $4.7million for the historic Santa Barbara Ranch Monte Alegro tract back in 2008 and have privately listed it through realtor John Vogel.

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My Comment: It does not help when Maria Shriver herself reportedly says that .... the ranch is surrounded by negative energy

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Mark Wahlberg Puts His Beverly Hills Home On The Market

Selling up: Mark Wahlberg has heavily discounted his Beverly Hills mansion in order to sell

Mark Wahlberg Puts His Beverly Hills Home On The Market For $13Million As He Seeks More Space For His Rapidly Growing Brood -- Daily Mail

Marky Mark Wahlberg has relisted his Beverly Hills home for the third time in four years at a new asking price of $12,995,000 - $3 million less than the first time he put it up for sale.

It seems that the actor has outgrown the sprawling estate which he shares with his model wife Rhea Durham and their four children Ella, 11, Michael, six, Brendan, four, and Grace, two.

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My Comment: Mark Wahlberg and his wife certainly have a taste in homes.

Two Los Angeles Mansions Are On Sale For $150 Million

The Owlwood estate is on sale for $150 million.

RUMOR: Not One, But TWO Crazy Los Angeles Mansions Are On Sale For $150 Million -- Business insider

For anyone who thinks the luxury real estate market in California is in peril, just take a look the wealthy neighborhoods of Los Angeles.

Not one, but two properties in the area are reportedly being shopped around with $150 million price tags.

Today celebrity real estate blogger the Real Estalker reported that billionaire widow Dawn Arnall was quietly shopping her spread, called Owlwood, for that amount. And just last week, the same blogger reported that real estate tycoon Jeff Greene was rumored to be listing his Beverly Hills Palazzo di Amore for the same amount.

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My Comment
: $150 million for a home .... not for me.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Inside Fashion Designer Max Azria's L.A. Mansion

There are 60 rooms in the mansion. It was built in the 1930s in the style of an 18th-century French chateau. There are Japanese, English and French gardens, as well as a Moroccan-style poolhouse with a hammam Photo: SEAN LEE DAVIES

Inside Fashion Designer Max Azria's Los Angeles Mansion -- The Telegraph

Spectacular custom-made furnishings and a palette of silver and gold make the fashion designer Max Azria’s Los Angeles mansion a glamorous retreat.

The Tunisian-born fashion designer Max Azria moved with his family to Paris at the age of 14. There, in his early 20s, he discovered a talent for making money in the fashion industry. He designed clothes that took high-

fashion accents and channelled them into something wearable, desirable and hugely commercial.

With a decade of experience under his belt he moved to LA in 1981, drawn to the glamour of the world’s entertainment capital and a clientele that favoured haute Parisian style, but with a more youthful and accessibly priced approach. When

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My Comment: A finished home that only a designer would appreciate.

America's Biggest (And Gaudiest) Family Home For Sale

Under construction: The Siegel's 30-bedroom mansion in Windermere near Orlando, Florida, is modelled after France's Palace of Versailles

At Home With The King And Queen Of Versailles: America's Biggest (And Gaudiest) Family Home Which Still Costs $65Million Even Though It Isn't Finished -- Daily Mail

* Owners David Siegel, 77, and his former beauty queen wife Jackie, 46, are the subjects of new documentary film Queen Of Versailles
* Movie was to chronicle the building of the largest family home in the U.S.
* It instead showed how the economic downturn forced them to stop building their dream home, a Las Vegas-style version of French palace Versailles


Times are tough in the property market with prices tumbling everywhere - and the biggest house in America is no exception.

The 30-bedroom mansion in Windermere near Orlando, Florida, which is modelled after France's Palace of Versailles, has had its price slashed by $10million to $65million.

You might think for that money, you would be ready to move in at a moment's notice.

But the gaudy mansion is only two-thirds finished and there is an estimated $30million (£17million) of work still to do.

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My Comment
: Gaudy is too polite a term to describe this train wreck. Here is an easy prediction .... they are not going to get their asking price.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Al Capone's Palm Beach Mansion Goes On The Market

The good life: Al Capone originally bought this waterfront property for $40,000 in 1928

Live Like A True American Gangster: Al Capone's Palm Beach Mansion Goes On The Market For Nearly $10Million -- Daily Mail

Gangsters may make their business by knowing the ins-and-outs of the criminal world, but Al Capone clearly had an eye for real estate as well.

The Palm Beach mansion that once belonged to the best known American gangster is due to be put on sale for a wealthy history buff who enjoys the sun.

The mansion has changed hands several times since 'Scarface' died there in 1947, and the latest owner dedicated a significant amount of cash to restore the property to its former glory - or notoriety.

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My Comment:
There must be a lot of bad karma in that place.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

A Look At The Syrian 'Presidential Palace'



Foreclosure Sale: Syrian Presidential Palace -- Michael Rubin, Commentary

My former Pentagon colleague David Schenker points me to this excellent photo essay compiled by Martin Kramer, who provides great commentary as well. Sometimes pictures are worth a thousand words.

Now, many American officials convinced themselves that Bashar al-Assad wasn’t such a bad guy; rather, he was the eminently reasonable Western-educated doctor. They argued ferociously in the halls of Congress and in the corridors of the State Department that the problem in U.S.-Syrian relations was simply a lack of dialogue, and that the United States was too shy about doing business with Bashar.

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Editor: The photo gallery starts here.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Drake Spends $7.7Million On Luxurious Los Angeles Mansion

A bargain at double the price: Drake has just splashed out $7.7m on a Los Angeles home that was originally on the market for 27m in 2009

You Fancy, Huh? Drake Spends $7.7Million On Luxurious Los Angeles Mansion -- Daily Mail

It seems Drake is enjoying the fruits of being Successful.

For the hitmaker has just splashed out a whopping $7.7m on a luxurious mansion in Los Angeles.

And it seems he is intent on living somewhere with plenty of privacy, as the property sits in the Hidden Hills locale.

And it seems partying was the main thing on the 25-year-old rapper's mind when he splashed out on the property, as it boasts a mechanical bull, fake lagoons, cave and 80-foot waterside.

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My Comment: The quality of the picture is so-so .... but I love the look of the wine cellar and the pool.

Monday, July 16, 2012

A Sneak Peek Inside One57

Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

A Sneak Peek Inside One57, The Super Expensive Apartment Building That's Being Built Near Central Park -- Business Insider

When it opens next year, One57 will be the tallest residential building in New York City. It will also be one of the most expensive and luxurious properties to come on the market in recent history.

The still-under-construction, 90-story apartment building is already making news. One of the building's two penthouse was rumored to have been bought by the Prime Minister of Qatar for around $100 million (though developer Extell has denied those rumors). And One57's basement storage bins alone will cost as much as $200,000—more than a Mercedes.

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Editor: The photo gallery starts here.

DreamWorks Founder David Geffen Has Bought Denise Rich's NYC Penthouse

Panoramic views: Looking out the window, one can see the Plaza Hotel, left, and the southern entrance to Central Park, with Columbus Circle to the west

DreamWorks Founder David Geffen Buying Citizenship-Renouncing Socialite Denise Rich's NYC Penthouse Apartment For Paltry $54 Million (It Was Listed For $65million) -- Daily Mail

* David Geffen, 69, is said to have purchased duplex penthouse listed by Grammy-nominated songwriter and socialite Denise Rich
* Rich recently renounced her American passport and will now live in London
* Sold 12,000 square-foot Fifth Avenue co-op for $11m less than asking price

Media magnate David Geffen is moving on up – literally – to the extraordinary Fifth Avenue penthouse once owned by wealthy socialite Denise Rich.

Rich, 68, the Grammy-nominated songwriter, top Democratic donor, and glamorous figure in European royalty circles, renounced her American passport in November, according to her lawyer, and has now sold her main home in the states for a paltry $54million.

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My Comment: Talk about a view of Central park

Saturday, July 14, 2012

A Wine Estate For Sale In Malibu



Rosenthal Wine Estate in Malibu Is Listed for $59.5 Million -- Wall Street Journal

A 235-acre Malibu, Calif., wine estate has listed for $59.5 million. The seller is George I. Rosenthal, the chairman of Raleigh Enterprise, which owns and operates commercial real estate, hotels, and movie and TV studio complexes.

Mr. Rosenthal assembled the Rosenthal Wine Estate beginning in 1977. The property includes a 12,000-square-foot hacienda-style main residence with two swimming pools. There are also horse stables and two guesthouses, including one with an additional pool.

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My Comment: A wine estate in Malibu .... who would have known.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Mariah Carey Puts Beachfront Bahamas Villa On the Market For $5.5 Million

Private property: The quiet gated community would have provided Mariah with lots of privacy

Fit For A Diva! Mariah Carey Puts Beachfront Bahamas Villa Where She Wed Nick Cannon On The Market For $5.5Million -- Daily Mail

Mariah Carey has put her Bahamas villa on the market for a whopping $5.5million.

The property is more than just a holiday spot for the singer, who tied the knot with Nick Cannon at the location in 2008.

The luxurious house sits on the beach and has direct access to the white sands with plenty of outdoor space to look out over the water.

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My Comment: Great place to stay during the winter months .... but I guess her eyes are somewhere else.

Gianni Versace’s Sumptuous Mansion Is Back On The Market

Fashion house: Gianni Versace’s Miami mansion was as flamboyant as the clothes which still bear his name

Would You Buy The House Where Gianni Versace Was Shot? -- The Telegraph

The Miami mansion where Gianni Versace died is on the market. But will the history of the house help or hinder its sale? Emma Rowley investigates the price of infamy.

Russian oligarchs, Middle Eastern royalty and Ecclestone sisters, get out your wallets. Gianni Versace’s sumptuous mansion is back on the market. Now used as a boutique hotel, Casa Casuarina in Miami Beach, Florida, has been put up for sale with a hefty £80 million price tag.

Whoever buys it will need to share the tastes of Versace, that is certain. The couturier spent millions transforming the 10-bedroom South Beach property into an Italian villa, complete with frescoes, statues and stained glass, ever ready for a visit from Elton and the like.

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Editor: A photo gallery of Versace's home is here.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

A Look At Liz Hurley's New Home

Love nest: Liz Hurley and Shane Warne have allegedly bought Donnington Hall for £6million

Lady Of The Manor: Liz Hurley To Leave Cotswold Farm As She As 'Buys £6Million Love Nest' With Fiancé Shane Warne -- Daily Mail

They fell in love in December 2010 and less than a year later they were engaged.

Taking their relationship to the next level, Liz Hurley and Shane Warne have allegedly purchased a love nest on the edge of the Forest of Dean.

The English beauty could be saying goodbye to her Cotswold farm home and hello to the magnificent Donnington Hall which is said to have set them back £6million.

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My Comment: She is upgrading.

Malibu Homeowner Made This Hollywood-Style Movie Trailer To Sell Her $35 Million Home



A Malibu Homeowner Made This Hollywood-Style Movie Trailer To Sell Her $35 Million Home -- Business Insider

You might think the video below is the trailer for Hollywood's next big summer blockbuster.

But it's actually the listing for one woman's $35 million Malibu house.

DeeAnna Staats hired Hollywood movie director Graham Henman to shoot the three-minute film, called "The Spider and the Fly," with Hans Zimmer Studios (which produced the musical score of "The Lion King," "Gladiator" and "True Romance") as the masterminds behind the soundtrack.

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My Comment: I love the video .... and what a smart way to sell your overpriced home.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Everybody Loves Raymond Jolly Giant Brad Garrett Puts His Malibu Mansion For Sale

Everybody loves living in a mansion: Though it seems Brad feels like a change of scenery and is moving on

Everybody Loves Raymond Jolly Giant Brad Garrett Puts Malibu Mansion On The Market For $11million -- Daily Mail

You would think that everybody would love living in a Malibu mansion.

But it seems sitcom star Brad Garrett is tired of living in the California celebrity enclave, for he has put his luxury house up for sale at the princely price of $11million.

The Everybody Loves Raymond star will be delighted if he manages to get his asking price, as he will be making a big profit on the $8.8m he paid in 2006

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My Comment: The price is a little steep .... but what a beautiful home.

Monday, July 9, 2012

One Massive Irish Estate Up For Sale

Mansion: Tony Ryan bought Lyons Demesne in Co. Kildare for £3.5million 16 years ago

Ryanair Summer Sale: The Home That Irish Airline Boss Spent £80Million Improving Is On The Market For Just £25Million -- Daily Mail

* Just three years ago estate owned by Tony Ryan was valued at £63.5million

Ryanair founder Tony Ryan’s grand estate is on the market for £25.5million – just three years after it was valued at £63.5million.

Mr Ryan bought Lyons Demesne in Co. Kildare for £3.5million 16 years ago and despite its change in fortunes, it is still the most expensive house on the market.

The £38million drop in value represents the largest reduction ever seen in the Irish property sector. By May 2010, its value had fallen from £63.5million to £40million.

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My Comment: And still no takers .... tells you the state of what is in ireland today.

San Francisco Bay Island Up For Sale

Red Rock Island near San Francisco is on the market for just under $5 million (£3.2 million)

The Rock: San Francisco Bay Island Up For Sale -- The Telegraph

An island offering a secluded beach, promises of great fishing and stunning views of the San Francisco skyline is up for sale for $5 million.

Red Rock Island, a 6-acre (2.4-hectare) mass of rock tucked away in a northern part of San Francisco Bay, is now being offered for just under $5 million (£3.2 million), Realtor Steven Higbee said. The property earlier this year was listed for $22 million.

Mineral rights for the property, which Higbee says contains manganese in its rocky outcroppings, are negotiable.

The undeveloped island has been on and off the market for years. Higbee said he advised the owner that the best way to move it was by "whittling away at the price."

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My Comment: It may cost $5 million to buy .... but a hell of a lot more to make it liveable with modern amenities.

Friday, July 6, 2012

China's Super Rich Are Buying Into The High-End U.S. Property Market

Downtown Beverly Hills At Night. Wikipedia

China's Super Rich Flock Into U.S. Property Market -- Forbes

A young Chinese couple threw $34.5 million into a luxury mansion in Hollywood, making themselves a new neighbor of David Beckham, Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney.

Overlooking Sunset Boulevard, the 36,000-square-foot French-style mansion has nine bedrooms and thirteen bathrooms. It sits on two acres in Beverly Hills with hand-carved limestone and 24-karat gilded French chandeliers, according to a story posted on WSJ Blogs.

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My Comment: As China's wealth increases .... expect more investments and purchases from Chinese nationals.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

The Multi-Million Dollar Property Portfolio Of Tom Cruise And Katie Holmes

Will this be Katie's? The £30.5million Beverly Hills mansion owned by Tom Cruise and Miss Holmes, who is believed to be entitled to property in their prenup agreement

The Multi-Million Dollar Property Portfolio Tom Cruise And Katie Holmes Collected During Their Five-Year Marriage -- Daily Mail

Most couples amass a couple of homes during their relationship or marriage, whether to keep or to sell and move on from.

But Hollywood A-list unions usually build up quite a big property portfolio around the world, and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are no exception.

And as the battle begins for custody of their little girl Suri, the question on everyone's lips - and probably theirs - is who will get which home?

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My Comment: These homes are great .... but if you are unhappy .... these homes mean nothing.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Talk About Over-Spending On A Mega-Mansion

Whopping: At $100m, this huge mansion was the most expensive ever bought in Silicon Valley - and even at its new value of 50m it remains the most expensive mansion sold

Bad Investment Then? Billionaire Russian Tycoons' Silicon Valley Mansion Is Worth HALF Of Its $100M Purchase Price -- Daily Mail

* Russian tech investor Yuri Milner purchased Silicon Valley mansion for $100million in 2009
* French chateau-style home boasts 14 bathrooms and a ballroom

A Silicon Valley home purchased by a wealthy Russian for $100million has now been valued at exactly half of what Yuri Milner paid.

Mr Milner purchased the sprawling French chateau-style mansion last March as a pied-a-terre for times when he was away from his first home in Moscow.

However, a recent valuation of the Los Altos Hills property by the Santa Clara County Assessor's Office found is was worth $50million less than what he paid.

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My Comment:
The funny thing is ..... Yuri Milner probably does not care that he paid more than what he should have for this mansion.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Sisters Spend $150 Million for Two Houses



My Comment: It's great when your daddy has a lot of money .... and he gives it to you.

$100 MILLION On New York's Most Expensive Penthouse

King of the Castle: Views from the castle in the sky will be unparalleled over all of Manhattan, the outer boroughs and beyond; the Sheik brought the property before even seeing it as it is not yet completed

Revealed: Qatar Prime Minister Spends $100 MILLION On New York's Most Expensive Penthouse (And He's Looking To Buy Four More Condos In The Same Building) -- Daily Mail

* The property in Midtown's One57 building was purchased by 'mystery buyer' in May
* The Qatari PM brought the two story apartment for between $90-$100m
* He's discussing buying four separate condos for a further $100-$150m
* His earlier $31.5m bid for two Fifth Avenue apartments belonging to the late copper heiress, Huguette Clark, was rejected

The prime minister of Qatar has been revealed as the mystery buyer who spent almost $100 million to purchase New York City’s most expensive penthouse.

Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani brought the luxurious two-story apartment spread over 10,923 square feet in the One57 building back in May.

Furthermore, the billionaire sheikh, who has two wives and 15 children, is reportedly also in discussions about buying four separate, full-floor condos in the exclusive Midtown building, which would bring the total cost to an incredible $250 million.

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My Comment: Something tells me that after spending all of this money, he will probably rarely show up to turn on the lights.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison Purchases The Hawaiian Island of Lania


Oracle CEO Ellison Closes On Deal To Buy 98 Percent Of Land In Hawaiian Island Of Lanai -- Washington Post/AP

HONOLULU — Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison has closed on his deal to buy most of the Hawaiian island of Lanai, the island’s seller said Thursday.

Billionaire David Murdock’s Castle & Cooke Inc. said the deal has been completed for about 88,000 acres on the island near Maui. The land makes up 98 percent of the island’s 141 square miles.

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More News On The Purchase By Larry Elision Of Lania

Larry Ellison's Plans to Buy Part of Hawaii Approved -- SF Weekly
Sale complete; Lanai in hands of Larry Ellison -- The Maui News
So just what did Ellison buy in Hawaiian island? -- SFGate
This Is How A Tech Billionaire Rolls: Larry Ellison Buys an Entire Hawaiian Island -- Techno Buffalo
Larry Ellison becomes Hawaii’s sixth-largest landowner -- Pacific Business News
The New King of Hawaii -- Slate
Oracle CEO Ellison’s purchase of Hawaiian island fits with his outlandish displays of wealth -- Washington Post
Larry Ellison's Decision To Buy A Hawaiian Island Was A Big Mistake — Here's Why --
Julie Bort, Business Insider

Kentucky's 'Palace of Versailles'

The development boasts a whopping 50 bedrooms, 16 guest suites and 19 full bathrooms

Inside The Castle Of Kentucky... But Who Would Pay $30m For This Sprawling Compound With 50 Bedrooms, A Barrel-Vaulted Ballroom And Basketball Court? -- Daily Mail

Ever wondered what it would be like to live in a medieval-style castle? Well you can, if you have enough loose change to stump up the $30 million price tag.

This palatial Bluegrass fortified castle sits on 232 acres of Kentucky land and is on the market.

Tucked away in the American city of Versailles, the medieval compound boasts 50 bedrooms, 16 guest suites and 19 full bathrooms.

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My Comment: Kentucky ?!?!?!

Sunday, July 1, 2012

The Homes Of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

Home number one: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes paid about $35 million for this Beverly Hills mansion sprawled over 10,286 square feet which Katie is said to be entitled to in the prenuptial agreement

Katie's $15million And A $35m Mansion: What Holmes Stands To Gain From Her Ex-Husband... And How She's 'Seeking Much More' -- Daily Mail

* Katie Holmes signed a prenuptial agreement which entitles her to $3million for every year of marriage
* Entitled to $35million California mansion
* Couple's estate is worth upwards of $275million

When they married to great fanfare and with much opulence in an Italian castle in November 2006, talk not only centered on bride Katie Holmes' wedding dress but also on her prenuptial agreement with the groom.

The details? For each year the couple stay married, the Dawson's Creek actress collects $3million - to a maximum of $33 million after 11 years - as well as their palatial home in California.

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My Comment: This is a nice collection of properties.