Maybe Scary Spice was always screaming, loud and a little less than refined, but you couldn’t tell it from her elegant 8,200 square foot home recently put on the market. In fact, it’s more like a home you’d expect for Posh Spice. The couple paid $3.159 million for this beautiful mansion in Tarzana, California less than two years ago. Then they put another million into when they added another detached cottage style building on the property containing a state of the art movie theatre, a mirrored gym, game room, gym, and wet bar. Why would Melanie Brown and Stephen Belafonte be selling so quickly? The couple may love the home, but they’re not too fond of one another and decided to call it quits.

The rooms in this French style mansion have beautiful Venetian chandeliers, marble or hard wood floors and look very continental. For those who want to watch how they eat, the dining room sports mirrored walls. There are huge his and her walk in closets, which rival the size of most people’s bedrooms. The bathrooms have the look of a posh hotel with one having a double window that opens to view the skyline of the city.

Of course, as with any mansion, there are plenty of bathrooms and bedrooms. You’ll find five bathrooms and eight bedrooms in this mansion. All of which are large and spacious. Some of the bedrooms are more ornate than others are, but all are contain the French decorating style, even the rooms for Angel, Phoenix, Giselle and new little Madison, the children are replete with that décor.

One big draw for the mansion is the outdoor living area, which is nicer than most of us enjoy inside the house. It offers a dining room, complete with a chandelier, an open but covered kitchen area, a large outdoor living room and a pool area. Of course, the no living room, indoors or outdoors, is complete without a huge flat-screen TV and this one is no different.

There’s a stone fire pit area for those cool nights also sitting atop the huge flat stone patio. Upon looking at it, it seems as though this would be the perfect place for any outdoorsman to set up camp. Okay, change that to “any outdoorsman who wants five star accommodations.” Therefore, if you have a box of marshmallows and a few million lying around, you might want to check out this prime piece of real estate.

Pictures of Melanie Brown’s Tarzana House For Sale

source: Los Angeles Times + Realtor.com

Share and Enjoy

Aniston’s role on Friends may the first thing people recall about her, but her smart real estate selections are now giving her a new legacy. Her latest purchase was an 8,500 square foot mansion designed by A. Quincy Jones and built in 1965. The mansion sits on a three-acre grassy knoll that offers not only a grand view of the downtown area, but also a great view of the ocean. In fact, the grounds are quite unique, containing a vineyard, koi pond, guest house, pool, covered kitchen area, several ponds and lots of walking paths through landscaping that can only be described as natural rather than planned—even though it probably took a lot of planning to get it to look that way.

While the mansion has a look that’s a combination between office building, Chinese Zen and Ultra-modern, Aniston got it at a steal for a mere $22 million. The original market price set last April was $29 million but dropped to $24.9 when the mansion didn’t move. While she only shaved $2.9 million off the present asking price, the final offer was a cool $7 million less than the original price, almost a 25 percent discount.

The interior looks as though someone spent plenty of time to make certain the feng shui was just right. Following the exterior design with the all white home accented by a building high red door, the interior contains the same theme.

The rooms are white, the floor is wood and there’s either a red dividing wall or prominent red accent piece in each room. Red is the Chinese color for luck and happiness and according to feng shui, indicates luxury and richness. However, it’s an energy color of arousal and passion, so you don’t want too much around the house, lest you get nothing accomplished except..well, you know. Too much also makes people burst out in anger and feel restless.

It will be interesting to see if Aniston changes this carefully created décor or leaves it just as it is. Either way, the mansion with its floor to ceiling windows, spacious open floor plan and dramatic view is another feather in her new real estate mogul hat.

More Photos of Jennifer Aniston’s Bel Air House

source: Realtor.com

Share and Enjoy

If you have a deep pocketbook, but not deep enough to afford several of the big mansions, then Selma Blair’s Los Angeles, California home might be just the right price. The actress known for performances in “Hellboy,” “Legally Blonde” and “The Sweetest Thing,” has her 2,918 square foot home on the market for $1,780,000. Fencing and tall hedges with a gated but narrow driveway surround the 3 bedroom, 3.5-bath property.

The house has a history, with its construction date in 1922, but fully modernized since that time . Blair purchased it for a mere $1,315 back in late 2004 right after she married, now ex-husband, Ahmet Zappa, the son of Frank Zappa. After the split, Blair and Jason Bleick, a somewhat free spirited fashion designer, became an item and the couple produced their 7 lb., 12 oz. baby boy, Arthur Saint Bleick last fall. In the real estate market, diapers in the house often mean a brand new home, and in this case, it seems to be following the pattern.

White flows throughout the home and in some rooms, makes it reminiscent of a rental. Besides the white walls and exterior, even the floors are painted white with light tan area rugs scattered throughout.

The slightest hint of color comes from the gray or black furniture, a black bathroom floor, some tan rugs and a few accent pieces in the home. Perhaps her realtor told her that a plain white interior would be easier to sell, or she simply has a romance going with white. Either way, the neutral tone of the house is prominent in every room.

One feature of the office that might be a deal breaker is the antler chandelier topped with candle-style lights. Another lighting misadventure is the flower-style chandelier above the dining room table. It’s interesting to view the pictures of the home and note one item that seems to be reappearing in several pictures. A turquoise blue, jug-style vase wanders from the dining room table onto the kitchen counter. The best guess is that the realtor suggested it and moved it for the photos to add a little color to the rooms.

Aside from the easily changed, blah décor, this home is quite nice and reasonably priced compared to many celebrity homes. It’s ready to move into and neutral enough for anyone’s taste. There’s a koi pond in the back, several rooms with a fireplace and a master bedroom with doors opening to the patio. For those who love outdoor entertaining, the back yard offers a big concrete fire pit and a concrete dining area.

More Photos of Selma Blair’s West Hollywood House

source: Westside Estate Agency + Realtor.com

Share and Enjoy

In August 2010, two years after they married in 2008, Scarlett Johansson (“The Horse Whisperer” and “He’s Just Not That into You”) and Ryan Reynolds (“Green Lantern” and “The Proposal”)purchased the home they would live in for the rest of their marriage, which lasted only a few more months more. The divorce was final June 2011 and the house is just now on the market.

While the couple only paid $2.9 million for the home, they’re now asking $3.65 million. There’s a good reason for that price hike. They did massive upgrades to make the home more eco-friendly. The addition of solar power, adding more security features, upgrading the kitchen and even securing plans to add a second story to this 2,835 square foot single-story post and beam style home.

The listing shows only two bedrooms and three baths, perhaps the reason for the second floor plans, which sits atop .44 acres with a view in all directions, allowing them to see both the beach and the downtown area of Los Angeles. It also has a 2-car attached garage, which is rather smallish for most stars’ abodes.

Inside you’ll find wood everywhere. The ceilings are wood, the floors are wood and there are wood posts and beams everywhere. It doesn’t take away from the attractiveness of the home, if you happen to like the distinct style. The kitchen has an open concept with a U-shaped wooden counter, which contains the gas cook top. The other appliances are chrome and built into the walls of the kitchen, giving it a sleek look.

The master bedroom has many people talking. It comes complete with a walled garden adjacent to it and a luxurious outdoor shower. One can only imagine the freedom of showing outdoors without worrying about anyone seeing you…except people in low flying airplanes and helicopters.

The house has its own name too. Locals call it the “Wong House.” It seems the Wong House was the “wong” purchase for Scarlett Johansson & Ryan Reynolds, but if they sell it for the asking price, it could make this home purchase far more palatable.

More Photos of Scarlett Johansson & Ryan Reynolds Former Love Nest

source: Keller Williams + Realtor.com

Share and Enjoy

image source: Realtor + Getty Images

Share and Enjoy

The Winnetka, Illinois home that co-starred with Macaulay Culkin is now up for sale for $2.4 million. However, if you’re expecting to see the house just as it was in the movie, think again. It’s renovated, updated and dazzling, even more so than in the movie. The only thing that remains the same is the exterior and the interior floor plan of this famous home.

The stairwell and foyer, which sported paisley red, green and tan wallpaper above the white wainscoting, received a makeover with the upper walls painted a cool soft grey that matches the grey runner on the stairs. Rather than the cluttered look of the overdone window treatment and lighter paisley wallpaper in the office/family room, there’s an understated look from the light grey walls and minimal window treatment allowing the beauty of the white molding on the French doors to the patio and full-length windows to shine.

If you loved all the red frizzle in the kitchen, you’ll hate the newer more modern look. In fact, you won’t even recognize it as the same kitchen. The new kitchen has a less cluttered, cleaner look. There’s no dangly red curtains or paisley (again) wallpaper. Instead, there’s pristine white walls with various shades of grey tile adorning the wall behind the chrome stove and hood, the countertop and the sink. The island in the kitchen now has a granite countertop instead of tiles.

The dining room is completely different and viva’ la difference. It’s open and airy with giant windows on one wall and two huge sliding paned glass doors leading to the screened porch on the other.

Even the bedrooms are different. While the original rooms were heavily toned in reds with the same deep colored paisley wallpaper creating an eyesore and cluttered look, the new look offers a white Berber carpet, soft red and white striped wallpaper and sheer curtains with the only other red in the valence and bed ruffle.

While this 4,250 square foot home doesn’t look like it did in the movie, that’s a good thing. The more modern decorating treatment allows this beautiful home to show off some of its finer features. Why are the owners selling the house? It seems their daughter grew up, moved out and left them home alone.

More Pictures of the ‘Home Alone’ Movie House

source: Marissa Hopkins Coldwell Banker

Share and Enjoy

For those that love a spooky tale, the house that starred in the book, “The Amityville Horror: A True Story” is up on the market. The house at 108 Ocean Avenue got its horrific beginning in 1974 When Ronald (Butch) DeFeo Jr. shot and killed six family members.

A year later, another family, George and Kathy Lutz purchased the home and moved into it. According to the Lutz family, that’s when the spooky stuff began. There was a 28-day period where the family was besieged by a demonic face with glowing red eyes peering in their window and leaving hoof prints in the snow, swarms of insects, boils on the exorcist’s hands and green slime.

The family collaborated on a book, written by Jay Anson after they reportedly fled from the house for their lives. There were television documentaries where ghost hunters and psychics verified the existence of demons and everyone claimed that Ronald DeFeo Jr. didn’t willingly shoot his family, the house made him do it—or should I say—the devil. All of this just a few short years after the success of “The Exorcist,” another tale of demon possession.

There was a series of movies, remakes and take television wanna’ bees that followed that. However, some people later became suspicious and finally, after years of keeping the secret, the attorney for Butch DeFeo, William Weber admitted the whole story was made up over a bottle of wine. The Lutz family wanted the fame and fortune from the book and Weber wanted a new trial for his client Butch.

So, if you’re into spooky houses, don’t expect to fill that need from the house at 108 Ocean Avenue. Other families lived there since and reported no horrific occurrences in the home. In fact, they claimed it was quite pleasant, so pleasant and updated that the sellers want $1.5 million for it. It may well be worth the price.

The home has a bright comfortable interior with a sunroom anyone would love. It boasts a half of an acre of riverside property on the Tom’s River. This New York home also has a detached garage, granite countertops in the center island kitchen, a porcelain foyer, and intricate crown molding in the living room and elegant dining room. It also has hardwood floors. You won’t be going to a dark spooky basement in this home, since it’s now home theatre complete with a wet bar.

You might not even recognize the old place from the movies. The previous owners remodeled the home and many of the shots weren’t of this home, but another one in the area. However, for $1.5 million you can have a heck of a good story, a nice home and a lot of fun at Halloween.

More Pictures of the Remolded ‘Amityville Horror’ House

image source: Sotheby’s International Realty

This black and white photo was taken in November of 1974 as police investigate the murders of six family members who were shot by Ronald DeFeo Jr.

Share and Enjoy

Get you’re teen work on a rap video so he/she can buy you the double dipper of condos from hip-hop singer Drake, who got his start as a member of the cast “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” a Canadian teen series. If you’ve never heard of him before, you’re probably over 40. After all, he must be famous if he only has one name and his current album is teetering at the #1 position in many music charts.

The cost for the combo of two condos is $2,499,000, $599,000 for one and $1.9 million for the other. While other rappers go on and on about the tough times, Drake raps about his money with songs like, “Successful” and he certainly is. In his budding career he’s already earned upwards of $11 million from record sales alone.

These two side-by-side condos in Miami, Florida are in the Marquis Miami and were actually featured as part of the music video, “I’m on One.” Drake combined the two condos to make one gigantic 5,475 square foot apartment. However, if you’re bank balance is a little low and all that kid of yours wants to do is study and go to college, you might be able to swing one of the condos with the cash in your checking account.

The larger and more expensive one has 3,800 square feet and sports four bathrooms and three bedrooms. The smaller of the two has only 1,675 square feet with two baths and one bedroom.

What do you get for your money? First, you get all the special amenities from the Marquis that every condo owner receives, a cocktail lounge, a pool, private elevators, housekeeping, climate controlled storage and a fitness center with a spa. You also get windows extending from the floor to the 20 foot vaulted ceiling, which give you the primo view of the Biscayne Bay.

If you love to cook, there are Viking restaurant style state-of-the-art appliances and the exotic wood cabinets. There’s nothing but the best, including a marble staircase in each apartment. Everything is larger than life in this combo offering. In fact, it even looks like there’s full length curtains from the top floor of all the building’s windows that extend to the pool deck outside on this posh building.

If you buy it, you can party like a rock star, or should I say rap star, because there are noise reduction partitioning walls so you won’t bother the neighbors.

More Pictures of Drake’s Former Miami, Florida Condo

image source: realtor.com

Share and Enjoy

It didn’t take former Red Sox pitcher, Jonathan Papelbon, much to sell his penthouse near Fenway Park, just a $50 million dollar four-year contract with the Phillies. This Red Sox All-Star and wife Ashley recently put his 2,500 square foot home, which is located in both a historic and high-dollar area, up for sale for $3.1 million. The penthouse contains four bedrooms and three bathrooms as well as an elevator to the roof top decks. Don’t even picture tar or pebbled covered surfaces. These rooftop decks are finished in wood and one contains a hot tub. Both have magnificent views that would make anyone feel like king of the world.

It would be difficult to tell this was a home of a baseball player, unless you looked at the nursery, which has seats from Fenway Park, Red Sox memorabilia and sliding doors hiding the baby’s dressing area with windows saying “To the Locker Room.” Aside from that small feature, the penthouse is elegantly decorated with little indication that a sports star lives there.

The Papelbon’s purchased the penthouse in 2009 for $2.67 million. The abode has all the niceties you’d expect in a multi-million dollar penthouse. It offers a gourmet kitchen with the best in appliances and copper fixtures, hardwood or marble floors in every room, custom made cabinets all enclosed in a semi-open floor plan.

The kitchen has a dining island suitable for three and leads directly into the living room and staircase area. The living room done in tans and white has a bay window at the end of a shotgun style living room/dining area that allows light to brighten the room enhanced with a glass enclosed fireplace. Off from the living room is a geometric light toned hardwood staircase that has a black wrought iron railing.

Don’t expect to use many of the rooms to practice ballroom dancing, since most of them are rather narrow. The bedroom looks as though it sports enough room to open the doors of the built-in cabinets across from the bed. Just as the bedroom is narrow, so is the nursery and living room. However, the living room’s narrowness stems from dividing the room, via floor treatment, into a dining room/living room combination.

More Pictures of Jonathan Papelbon’s Former Penthouse

image source: Realtor.com

Share and Enjoy

While most people have to prove their income before getting a mortgage, it probably wasn’t necessary when Chris Paul bought Avril Lavigne’s former home, if a mortgage was necessary. His $68 million dollar four-year contract was more than enough to cover the $8.5 million dollar price tag of the Bel Air mansion. While unloading the mansion, Avril also unloaded other items in her life the same day, including her boyfriend Brody Jenner.

Even though the LA Clipper’s point guard, Paul paid $8.5 million for the Mediterranean-style home, he got a bargain. Lavigne previously had the property listed at $9.5 million for six months and dropped the price to meet Paul’s offer. The home is in a gated community where the median home prices run a roughly $1,722,000.

The house has eight bedrooms and ten baths while situated on slightly over a half acre of land. The new mansion has 12,184 square feet, just enough to move about a bit. It also has a 10-car garage, so there will always be plenty room for his cars, regardless of how many lawn mowers, basketballs or other items Paul stores there.

Of course, there’s a swimming pool outside, it’s right after the covered outdoor living area, which comes complete with tiled floor and a fireplace, just in case there’s a little evening breeze. You can use the Jacuzzi if you don’t care to swim. There is also a barbecue area complete with a dining table.

Going inside, you’ll find the extra amenities no home should be without, such as a wine cellar, staff quarters and a gym with a sauna. Guests are greeted in the two-story foyer. If they manage to make it to the kitchen, they’ll find themselves surrounded by a huge L-shaped countertop/breakfast bar that seats five. Separating the bar from the actual kitchen work area is an island for food preparation with storage and a sink. Of course, there are state of the art appliances. What mansion would be complete without them?

There’s a second kitchen in the home. This one is smaller and very private. It’s in the master bedroom, along with a fireplace, custom walk-in closets and two baths. There’s also a patio off the master suite. If you’ve seen pictures of the home, you might recognize it, since it was once featured on the reality series, “Meet the Barkers” and owned by Travis Barker, drummer for Blink-182.

More Pictures of Chris Paul’s Bel-Air House

image source: Zillow

Share and Enjoy