Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Birthday Break

Listen puppies, today is Your Mama's birthday–yes, it really is–so we've decided to give our self a wee break. Instead of working our fingers to the bone like we do most days we're going to spend the day on our back deck, sipping gin and eating the dee-voon white-trash birthday cake the Dr. Cooter made for us.

However, we hate to leave the children high, dry and starving for a celebrity real estate morsel so here are a few nuts and berries to keep y'all busy for a while.

1.
Alternative music maker Moby recently moved from New York City to Los Angeles where he's made house in the legendary Wolf's Lair, a storied castle perched high above Lake Hollywood. Moby bought the fairy tale property last year from divorcing music executive Jay Faires and tee-vee talker Debbie Matenopoulos.

The quirky house had first been listed with an asking price of $7,500,000. Property records show that Mister Moby paid $3,925,000 for the 3.31 acre aerie and according to a recent article in the New York Times, the picayune, pixie-like musician spent another couple million on renovations and restorations that included the installation of a new kitchen, the addition of three bathrooms to the main house, the conversion of a garage into a recording studio and situating a small meditation deck to hover serenely over the lake.

Photos in the New York Times reveal that Mister Moby has sparely but smartly furnished the house with pedigreed mid-century modern furniture that, as far as we're concerned, makes a delicious juxtaposition against the eccentric architecture and historical architectural details.

2.
We're not sure how many people actually care about this but for those who do Madonna's fire-ravaged childhood home in Rochester Hills, MI can now be purchased for just $49,000. Your Mama presumes there are a healthy handful of crazed "fans" who are, at this very minute, pawning their car stereos and selling their 14-karate gold jewelry to come up with the damn down payment. Iffin we were Madonna–and thank heavens we are not–we'd buy the property, raze the house and donate the land for a neighborhood park with taxes paid for the next 99 years. Just a thought.

3.
Your Mama gets a lot of questions about pocket listings: What are they? Why would someone do a pocket listing? Click here for the low-down on pocket listings. Let us know if you have any questions.

4.
It's no secret that celebrities have special real estate desires and needs and the money to buy them. Here's a list compiled by people at Zillow of the top 10 features famous folks look for in a home.

5.
Hip hopper Salt of Salt-N-Pepa listed her Melville, NY mansion with an asking price of $2,295,000. Who?

6.
An unidentified buyer paid a stunning $47,000,000 for a New York City townhouse originally built for one of those lavish living Vanderbilts. The 33-foot wide townhouse was sold as a pocket listing (see above) sans broker, which means no commission will be paid.

7.
Your Mama asks that the children consider the audacious brilliance of the tiger-striped wall-to-wall carpeting in this New York City penthouse at the Trump International Hotel and Tower. Our friends at Curbed think the high-floor corner condo, recently listed at $24,000,000, might belong to Band-Aid heiress Libbet Johnson whose brother Woody–that would be the owner of the New York Jets and father of tragic socialite Casey Johnson–happens to own the penthouse next door.

30 comments:

StPaulSnowman said...

A very happy birthday to you. It is tough to leave the thirties behind.

Anonymous said...

Mama....enjoy every minute of your deck time with beverages & cake today. And, thanks to the Dr. Cooter for taking such good care of Mama. Much deserved day of fun and relaxation! I have a friend ringing in the Big 5-0 today so that will help me to remember Mama's b-day going forward. Thanks for the nuts and berries today.

Cheers!
Miss Lily Pond

Anonymous said...

Keep us posted on the place that Mr. Flowers bought for 53 million in 2006 and now is selling through a broker for around 40 million. We like to hear of big losses suffered by the excessively rich.

Anonymous said...

Mama, you could have googled Cheryl Wray, Salt, of Salt n Pepa. Don't be lazy...

But I still love you!

Lilithcat said...

Happy birthday, Mama! But leave some champagne for the rest of us.

Anonymous said...

Yidid Mama: Yom haledet sameach!

Dear Mama: Happy Birthday!

May you enjoy every bite and morsel of Dr. Cooter's pineapple upside-down cake? Caramel cornflake cake? Fudge meringue cake. Or perhaps even a Lady Baltimore Cake?

We wish you a joyous year of good health and prosperity, and a full lifetime of many, many more.

With love,
Rabbi Hedda LaTess and your Trenton NJ friends

Raina Cox said...

Happiest of Happy Birthdays, Mama!

I should have known you're a fellow Taurus.

Suzy said...

Many happy returns, Mama. Thank you for all you do, lightening and brightening the days of us who slog along in Ordinaryland just trying to keep on keeping on. (Speaking for myself, anyway.)

Anonymous said...

What makes Mama's blog so wonderful are the links to multitudinous tales about the rich, famous and infamous. Her reference to Libet and Casey Johnson caused me to google for them and what opened up was a chocolate box of delectable stories, each one more enticing than the next. I feasted for some time on all that and will go back later for more after digesting what I have already consumed.

Steve Mawson said...

FELIZ CUMPLE MAMA DEAREST

Fancy Nancy said...

Happy Birthday, Mama!! I too will be celebrating my birthday on Friday, May 6th! I always begin on my very favorite holiday--Cinco de Mayo!! Margarita"s and men--2 days of of fun!!
Have a wonderful day today--you and Dr Cooter, and we"ll see you after the hangover has subsided!!

Love you, Mama.............Fancy Nancy

Jumpin' Jejosephat said...

The age jokes have been done to death for centuries so I'll simply wish you a Happy Birthday, Mamma! And just as big a Thank You for entertaining the unworthy and unwashed masses!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, Mama!

Like Raina, I too should have known you're a fellow Bull.

Lady J

Jake said...

Happy birthday Mama

also, is the 33foot wide townhouse the same one that Sloane Lindemann owns you talked about a while ago on this blog? i think its this one from Architectural Digest. Peter Marino's the shit

http://www.architecturaldigest.com/architects/100/peter_marino/marino_article_042007

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Mama!

2.2 mil for a home in Melville??

Carla In California said...

Happy Birthday Mama! Thank you for all of the juicy info and wonderful pictures of homes I wish I could afford to buy and sell. :)

Hope you have many more birthdays to come.

Anonymous said...

But of cooooouuuurrrrssssse Our Mama is an earthy Taurus - what else?! Happy Birthday Mama!!

DCGuy said...

Happy Birthday Mama! Have Svetlana bring bring you a martini!

Anonymous said...

It's my birthday too! Should have known you were an earth sign - and a Taurus no less. Happy Birthday.

Anonymous said...

happy b-day you hot mamma you! thanks for all the real estate love! xxoo kisses

Madam Pince said...

Happy, happy birthday, Mama!

Babe Parish said...

:::happy birthday Mama:::may the next year bring you even more success and lots and lots of covert communiques!:::thank you for all that you do!:::

love,
babe:::

Sylvie said...

Joyeux Anniversaire MAMA !

FonHom said...

Happy Birthday! & many more to come!!

Q: re Moby...is "picayune" what you meant? Def: "is of little value : paltry; also : petty, small-minded." I have no particular feelings about the guy. Just wondering.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Mama!

Hot Chocolate said...

A belated happy birthday, butter bean. May you always enjoy proper pooper placement and pot rack free kitchens!

Anonymous said...

Sorry, I'm a day late, (driving from Arizona to Colorado)... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for all the interesting stuff.

Anonymous said...

Happy belated birthday!!! I hope you had a great day, you certainly deserve it :)

Mama'sBoy said...

Ciccone Central Park!

Genie said...

Happy Birthday belated to you & me too. I just found your blog & am very Intrigued. Can't wait to stop by again.