Monday, February 25, 2008

A Little Mid-Week Mish Mash

1.
In an interesting twist to the stunning foreclosure sale of Veronica Hearst's (now former) Palm Beach play pen Villa Venezia, freakishly rich retired professional golfer Greg Norman sat with the representatives of New Stream Capital as they bid and bought the 28,000 square foot mansion at auction for just $22,000,000. Mister Norman, who was recently embattled in a public and bitter dee-vorce and is now engaged to tennis ace Chris Everett, has reportedly been on the hunt for a Manalapan mansion to call home and some rumors say he may be one of the eight parties said to be interested in purchasing Villa Venezia from New Stream. Why else would he be there, right?

2.
Your Mama has received confirmation from a well placed and confidential source who yesterday whispered in our big ear that recently rehabbed rock star Richie Sambora did indeed buy the Calabasas crib of San Diego Padres pitcher Randy Wolf. Good thing the place is walled, gated and secured because Mister Sambora does not need that wild eyed Denise Richards collapsed and crying on the front porch anymore. (We tease. Your Mama has no idea if Miz Richards ever resorted to such hysterics, but we do think she's wild eyed.)

3.
Did the once high flying celebrity real estate agent Joe Babajian finally get a deal on his Trousdale Estates domicile that he's been trying to unload ever since he was indicted on hair-raising charges of fraud, money laundering and other nefarious and naughty activities?

Joebab's fully and meticulously renovated house on Carla Ridge in the eastern edge of the Bev Hills was first listed at $6,995,000 and almost immediately reduced to $6,895,000. Recently, the asking price was karate chopped to $6,595,000 which must have brought in the buyers because the listing is now marked, "Looking For Backup." The possible sale no doubt comes just in the nick of time for ol' Joebabs to hand over a giant retainer to Thomas Mesereau, the high profile and high priced attorney reported to be representing Mister Babajian in his trial scheduled to begin in July, 2008. Stay tuned because this one just gets more interesting.

4.
Poor little faux rebel rocker Avril Lavigne. Not only is the kohl-eyed pop princess reportedly having a devil of a time getting all the mommies of pre-teen gurls with black nail polish to cough up the cash for tickets to her current concert tour, she can't seem to get her former residence in the guard gated celebrity enclave of Mulholland Estates sold either.

We're starting to think The Spitter left some seriously bad juju in the house that scares the money of potential buyers back into their bank accounts. Has the listing agent considered having the house "cleaned" they way that kooky Jeff Lewis from The Bravo TV's Flipping Out does? Think about it. Nothing else has worked and desperate times call for desperate measures.

Miss Lavigne, who in 2006 got married in a big white princess dress to Sum 41 front man Deryck Whibley, first listed the 6,894 square foot house a looong time ago (too long ago for Your Mama's booze addled brain to recall) for nearly $7,000,000. Over time, the asking price was cut, whittled and chopped to it's current asking price of $5,800,000. At least two (we hear three) buyers stepped up to the plate and then backed down. The house remains unsold like Av's concert tickets and meanwhile she and Deryck still gotta pay the fat mortgage on the house they bought last year in Bel Air.

5.
Russ Weiner, founder of Rockstar Energy Drinkand spawn of right wing radio wingnut Michael Savage, is also having trouble unloading several high priced properties in the Hills of Hollywood. Three properties to be exact. First there was the four story flesh colored house on Franklin Avenue that was originally priced at $3,995,000 (maybe higher?) and has been languishing on the market for a real estate eternity at $3,500,000. Then came "The Fortress" on curvy and swervy Sunset Plaza Drive which has also been on the market for a lifetime. Last week, the price of the architecturally intriguing property was chopped from $11,900,000 to $9,900,000. (Your Mama thinks the price of this house started in the neighborhood of $14,000,000, but we just can't recall and we don't have time to look. So one of you people look for Your Mama and let us know. Thanks.)

Then came the icing on the cake which is that monstrosity on Sierra Alta Way that Mister Weiner bought in September 2005 from the humorously named NBA basketball player Carlos Boozer for $8,600,000. Hoping to cash in on the white hot real estate market, Mister Weiner and his people first put the 17,893,000 square foot pile of uglee on the market at a delusional $22,000,000. Is anyone surprised that there have been several price reductions and just last week the asking price was slashed to $15,900,000?

The bleeding heart children should have no fear and lose no rest that even if Mister Weiner manages to off load all three of these properties all at once, he'll be homeless. Oh no. The young and exuberantly rich fixture on the Hollywood party scene also owns one of the more modest spreads up in super swank Beverly Park.

28 comments:

Alessandra said...

Is the Coastal Commission going to fine Greg Norman for all the golf ball he hits into the water once he buys Villa Venezia or has he figured that into the price?

And maybe Richie Sambora can hire a nice gay decorator for the Calabasas crib. I'm not sure Denise Richards could find Calabasas if she were led by a pierced body part, so hopefully he's safe from her histrionics.

Anonymous said...

if it is getting that bad out there, real estate, recession, forclosures, why is the stock market continuing to go up ?

something is very suspicious here.

Anonymous said...

The sky is falling!
The sky is falling!
The sky is falling!
The sky is falling!
The sky is falling!
The sky is falling!
The sky is falling!

Anonymous said...

A bit of mish, a bit of mash, goes a long way mid week. That was great Mama.

Anonymous said...

The sky is falling!
Sell sky.

Anonymous said...

The high priced realtor,
who reps many of the highend
properties in BH and Bel Air
wonder what happened to him ?


http://www.michaeleisenberg.com

Anonymous said...

"The high priced realtor,
who reps many of the highend
properties in BH and Bel Air
wonder what happened to him ?


http://www.michaeleisenberg.com"

Looks like he works for Keller Williams. And?

Anonymous said...

His website is shut down, virtual tours on the estates he reps are shut down

Anonymous said...

chicken little, the sky is not falling why ? what is supporting it ?

banks are asking for bailouts, 10 states including CA have a high rate of unemployment and yet the dow just went up another 200 points today

Anonymous said...

"The high priced realtor" is doing fine... he's got an open house today if you want to stop by and ask him how he's doing yourself.

The sky isn't falling... it's just that a few of those houses should have been priced $5-10M lower to begin with. I believe the "fortress" house was in escrow at around $12M last year... it's a very cold, sort of tacky house witha modern look, but an 80's feel inside

Anonymous said...

Hollywood Mayor

so why are his sites shut down ?

Anonymous said...

Oh Mama!

A mid-week Mish Mash - what a treat!

Veronica Hearst: as I think I described her before, she has a smile like a crack in the walls of hell, where she'll soon be residing . . .

Sambora's new crib: wait for the next temblor and wave bye bye as it slides down the hill . . .

JoeBab: win or lose, he's dreaming of Jeff Stryker in Jail House II.

The Spitter: If Jeff Lewis can't "smudge" it away, perhaps a professional arsonist can? (Just a thought).

Russ Weiner: With four dogs to unload? Sell 'em as a set, and move into the runt of the litter.

Anonymous said...

Geez..somebody has trouble with their ISP and people think they're standing on the ledge waiting to jump.

Anonymous said...

LGB,

This is the second time you've made a weak attempt at humor by suggesting arson.

It is not funny. Fires have caused a lot of heartache this past year. Drop it, please.

Anonymous said...

anon 2:19 if you are a rep for homes over 100MM it is a bad idea to have your site and their sites down, someone forgot to pay the bill.

btw we looked for an open house of eisenbergs, THERE WAS NO OPEN HOUSE
!!!!

to many liars on this blog,

hollywood mayor you are full of sh*** and you talk out of your A****

Anonymous said...

I don't even understand the implication of the person who's all suspicious about eisenberg's websites. what is he or she trying to get at?

shit happens. i'm sure eisenberg will get his bills paid, or the servers back up or whatever.

Anonymous said...

Mama,

Re: Weiner's "Fortress" (sounds like a male chastity device) anyhoo... On 1/25/07, I saved the MLS listing info with a list price of $14,995,000... That's some chop!

- Momma's Little Researcher -

Anonymous said...

Yall funny, yall sound like wanna be tech geeks but funny, very entertaining...

yall made my week....

Anonymous said...

Anon 3:13:

Sorry i didn't get back to you sooner; I'm sorry if you were offended by my "arson" remark; having friends who nearly lost their house to one of the SoCal arson fires set earlier this year has not made me insensitive to the plight of all those families who lost their homes.

Unlike Madame Hearst, who has lost her homes through her own bad planning and obliviousness to her spendthrift habits, losing one's home to something completely beyond your control must be so much more devastating.

I hope you weren't one of them; if so, know that my prayers (yes the jester prays) are with you. I hope you realize that no malice or trivialization was intended.

I've said it before but I'll restate it again - if I EVER say something that offends someone, please call me out on it; I'm a big boy and can take it, but more importantly, if someone doesn't point it out, I'll never know if I've unwittingly hurt someone, and despite comments to the contrary, that is the last thing I would want to do.

I'm blessed with a job that surrounds me with some of the industries greatest minds - but in conversation with them, I often remember the quips but forget the consequences of using them.

All humor will offend at least someone; I just want people to know that it comes from a place of wanting to make people laugh, not cry. There's enough sadness in the world, and we all need to laugh more.

Peace

Anonymous said...

Anon 4:35pm:

He advertised an open house today at 2472 Benedict Canyon... I'm not him, and I didn't go by so I can't tell you why or if it was cancelled.

If you're so curious about what's up with him why don't you call him?

I came with facts and now you're talking out of your ass...

Why don't you have a screen name so we can all identify who the feisty lil' Eisenberg obsessor is?! You sound like you need a hug

Anonymous said...

Gee...The MLS lists the broker for that address as a Michael Eisenberg.

Imagine that.

Can't be the same guy because Anon 9:27/9:49/4:35 would NEVER lie or post inaccurate information....

Anonymous said...

hollywood mayor, don't get your panties up in a bunch, I was just F**** with ya, I do not live in LA and I really could not give a S*** who Esienberg is ......

Anonymous said...

MAMA, PEREZ IS LINKING THIS POST FROM HIS WEBSITE...

Anonymous said...

"MAMA, PEREZ IS LINKING THIS POST FROM HIS WEBSITE"

That explains why the trolls are out in full force on Mama's blog. Didn't Britney take a public crap or something that they can chase?

Anonymous said...

Who is Perez ?

Anonymous said...

anon 7:19am:

If you don't live in LA then don't comment on open houses in LA ever again you silly lil' B**ch...

and keep grown folks names out your mouth or mama might need to wash it out

Alessandra said...

10:08am...Perez is Perez Hilton. LA Celebrity Gossip "Queen"

Anonymous said...

Is she in LA? I always assumed Perez was a NY homo