2nd Most Expensive Home Sale in U.S.? Silicon Valley Mansion Reportedly Snags $117.5 Million

January 25, 2013, 11:51 am

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Our eyes nearly popped out of our heads when we saw the reported sale price of this Woodside, Calif., mega-mansion: $117.5 million! If it's true, it would be the second most expensive home sale ever in the United States. (Billionaire Stanley Kroenke holds the No. 1 spot for his $132.5 million purchase of a Montana ranch last November.)

Bay Area blog SF Luxe came across the shocking discovery, pointing to public records on listings site Redfin showing the astronomical sale price of the 8,930-square-foot home in the middle of Silicon Valley. Our buddies at Curbed, though, expressed a bit of skepticism, saying: "It could also be a fat finger error at the property records office." We can't be totally certain, but there is some evidence that the sale price may be the real deal. A historic Colonial in Woodside went on the market for $85 million last September, and Russian billionaire Yuri Milner coughed up $100 million for a home in nearby Los Altos Hills, Calif.

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The mega-mansion, previously owned by private equity bigwig Tully Friedman and designed by starchitect Allan Greenberg, was not publicly listed for sale, according to SF Luxe. The blog did not reveal the buyer, but said that "it's a name with which you are undoubtedly familiar." (Mark Zuckerberg?) The stunning neoclassical home, which sits on nine acres, has 360-degree mountain views.

Check out other massive homes for sale in Woodside, Calif., or search listings in your area.

See also:
Candy Spelling's Closing Price: $85 Million
Most Expensive NYC Apartment Sale Closes at $88 Million

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The Cathouse: A Home Designed for Your Feline More Than for You

January 26, 2013, 1:42 pm

≫ Next: Dow Jones Family Selling California Mansion for $7 Million (House of the Day)

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We know you cat lovers adore your feline friends like they're your own children, but this might be taking it too far. (That's just us; we know many of you will not agree.) A Japanese home construction company has designed an entire home that's built especially to cater to your furry friend.

This cat lover's apartment, by Fauna+DESIGN, features tunnels, cat flaps in every door, steps leading up to wooden "cat walks" snaking across the walls, elevated platforms and even cat "viewing areas"! The home was built using information gleaned by Fauna+DESIGN about the interactions between humans and cats, as well as cats' movements and activities.

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Think it's ridiculous? Well, if you own a cat (and reports show that a third of Americans do), some of these features actually make a lot of sense. The home's bathroom has an extra space specifically designed for the litter box (with its own wall partition, so your feline can enjoy his or her privacy), and all the materials used in the home are scratch-resistant and easy to clean.

But building an entire home around your cat? Really? Not so weird, any cat lover would tell you -- because the feline is top dog in their houses anyway.

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Dow Jones Family Selling California Mansion for $7 Million (House of the Day)

January 29, 2013, 5:35 pm

≫ Next: Crespi/Hicks Estate: Most Expensive Home on the Market Asking $135 Million

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Filed under: News,Selling,House of the Day

Hugh and Joy Bancroft, members of the family that once owned the Dow Jones & Company publishing empire (of The Wall Street Journal fame), have put their sprawling California mansion on the market. The 10,000-plus-square-foot property, located in Rancho Santa Fe, is listed for almost $7 million. It sits on nearly six acres of land with its own private lake, barn, arena, lush gardens and pool. The main house boasts five spacious bedrooms, six bathrooms, a chef's kitchen and a wine cellar.

So why are the Bancrofts selling this magnificent home, you may wonder? Well it's certainly not because they're broke. According to the the Journal, the irrefutably well-to-do couple are simply moving to another home that they've bought and renovated nearby. Ah, the lifestyles of the rich and famous. ...

See the listing at Zillow.

Find other homes for sale in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., or search listings in your area.

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Got a tip for House of the Day? Know of an exceptional or unusual property currently listed for sale? Please email krisanne.alcantara@huffingtonpost.com with your suggestions and be sure to include links to listing details and photos. (Due to the volume of response, we unfortunately are unable to reply to each submission.)

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Crespi/Hicks Estate: Most Expensive Home on the Market Asking $135 Million

January 29, 2013, 5:35 pm

≫ Next: 'Twin House' in Oklahoma City: Where 3 Successive Families Had Babies in Pairs

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With a $135 million asking price, the famed Crespi/Hicks Estate in Dallas is the most expensive home on the market in the country right now. That's the news -- but the real story goes far deeper than that. The home is an architectural masterpiece harkening back to the great, regal estates of the 1920s and '30s, said Douglas Newby of Douglas Newby & Associates, which has the listing.

The home was designed by renowned architect Maurice Fatio for Italian Count Pio Crespi, who came to the United States to head up the American leg of his wealthy family's cotton empire. With ties to European royalty, this 42,500-square-foot estate is one-of-a-kind. And it's definitely more than just a big house for a Hollywood spender.

"Who would think that European royalty would bring their trunks to Dallas?" Newby told AOL Real Estate. "And who would think that a city sometimes associated with flash has the greatest refinement?" The 25-acre property -- which has a main house, a guesthouse and a pool house -- is currently owned by Tom Hicks, who once owned baseball's Texas Rangers and who Forbes magazine said was worth $1.4 billion in 2008.

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The Crespi/Hicks Estate truly is so artful. With its luxurious wood-paneled library and panoramically windowed rotundas -- just to name a few of its fabulous qualities -- this home is opulent yet classic. The property is so rich that it's worth $2 million per acre. The best part? It has rolling meadows, creeks, forests and formal gardens just eight minutes from downtown Dallas, Newby said.

Find other amazing homes for sale in Dallas, to search listings in your area.



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'Twin House' in Oklahoma City: Where 3 Successive Families Had Babies in Pairs

January 29, 2013, 5:35 pm

≫ Next: Jude Law, 'Side Effects' Star, Puts London Home Up for Sale

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We've written plenty about homes with histories (for better or worse), but the story behind this Oklahoma City house is like nothing we've ever heard before. The pretty white house might not look much different from any other on the block, but if you ask its previous tenants, it's got some tricks up its sleeve. The last three couples who lived there all had twins. There's more: The twins in each case are of different sexes.

The first couple was Patrick and Jennifer Gaines. The pair had moved into the home at 209 NW 17th St. in April 2002. Though Jennifer already had given birth to twins -- daughter Cooper Christian Gaines and son Patrick Byrne Gaines Jr. were 4 months old when they moved in -- the twins were raised in the home. After the Gaines family moved out, Jonathon Storment and Tina Sawtelle moved in. They discovered not long afterward that Sawtelle was pregnant.

"I am sure we joked with them about twins," Gaines told The Oklahoman newspaper. "There was a lot of, 'Wouldn't it be cool if you had twins, too?'" As fate would have it, in January 2010, Storment and Sawtelle found out that they, too, were to be the parents of twins -- a boy and a girl.

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Not long after, the family moved to Texas, and Chelsea and Brady Smith (pictured above) moved in. Chelsea had been warned by neighbors that the last two couples in the house each had boy-girl twins and to be careful, but the Smiths laughed it off. "I thought it was crazy," Chelsea Smith told The Oklahoman. "I thought, 'Well, a house doesn't make you have twins.' "

But in 2012 the couple found out they were to be parents of boy-girl twins. According to the Smiths, the past three families might not be the only ones who have been doubly blessed in the home: It's been rumored that other twins lived in the home many years before the Gaineses did. It's now been dubbed "The Twin House."

Though the Smiths take it lightly, many locals, perhaps not ready for such a handful of child care, are staying away from the home in fear of being the next parents of twins. "I have buddies who don't even drive down the block anymore," said Brady Smith.

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Jude Law, 'Side Effects' Star, Puts London Home Up for Sale

January 29, 2013, 5:35 pm

≫ Next: Homes of the Rich: They Have Jellyfish Tanks, Safe Rooms and Sushi Bars (House of the Day)

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Filed under: News,Celebrity Homes

One of the "Side Effects" of being a celebrity as hot as Jude Law? You tend to go through homes pretty quickly. At the tail end of 2010, he and then-on-again (now-off-again) girlfriend Sienna Miller settled in London's star-studded Highgate neighborhood. Then, last March, he was reportedly apartment hunting for a $10,000-and-up rental in New York City. Now, he's putting his sweet Georgian townhouse in London's posh Maida Vale neighborhood up for sale for $6.8 million, The Real Estalker reported. (That's converted from the 4.35 million pounds that it's listed for in British currency.)

We're wondering why he's cutting the townhouse loose now after all the trouble that he went through to make it his own. He rented the place for four years before finally buying it from his landlord for 3.5 million pounds, according to The Evening Standard in London. Then, he had to get his plans for extensive renovation to the place approved by neighbors, which he did last September. And now -- poof! -- he just tosses it away (albeit at a hefty price)?

Well, believe us, whoever picks up Law's home will want to hold onto it forever. Set "well back from the road," the Ian Green Residential listing says, it's primed for privacy. There's a beautiful 144-foot-deep backyard garden to feast your eyes on. Though details are slim, it appears that inside you'll find a double reception room, a conservatory, a sweeping kitchen and a huge master bedroom with a dressing room and en suite bathroom.

Jealous? Don't be. Find better homes for sale in your area.

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Homes of the Rich: They Have Jellyfish Tanks, Safe Rooms and Sushi Bars (House of the Day)

January 29, 2013, 5:35 pm

≫ Next: Tyler Perry's Home Sold in California for $11.25 Million

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While discussion heats up over what exactly constitutes "middle class" in New York City, there sure ain't any confusion over what constitutes "wealthy." We're pretty darn sure, for example, that anyone who plans to live in this $75 million New York City apartment at Trump Place is filthy smokin' rich. (And we're pretty darn sure that's not us.)

The positively cavernous, 11,000-square-foot home was created by combining six units into one, naturally. The glittering, sun-drenched space boasts Italian marble floors, Creston technology, Baccarat chandeliers and ebony walls. There are spectacular views over the Hudson River and Riverside Park at almost every turn. Oh, and a jellyfish tank, safe rooms and a sushi bar, in case we plebians weren't jealous enough.

OK, so most of us will never call this place home. But that doesn't mean we're not going to drool over it anyway! Thanks to our pals at Curbed for the tip! Michael Gavin of Trump International Realty has the listing.

Find more over-the-top features in homes for sale in New York, N.Y., or search listings in your area.

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Got a tip for House of the Day? Know of an exceptional or unusual property currently listed for sale? Please email colin.croughan@teamaol.com with your suggestions and be sure to include links to listing details and photos. (Due to the volume of response, we unfortunately are unable to reply to each submission.)

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Tyler Perry's Home Sold in California for $11.25 Million

January 29, 2013, 5:35 pm

≫ Next: Listing Fail: Apartments That Are Stunningly Average

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Tyler Perry's "Madea" might have gone to jail, but the wildly popular movie character put Perry himself in a big house. We're now getting a glimpse inside the Hollywood Hills home that Perry sold for $11.25 million back in October. And we're seeing what kind of lifestyle Perry led: There's a nightclub with a disco ball inside the home!

Zillow points out that Perry made a nice profit on the sale, since he bought the 9,725-square-foot manse for $9.6 million in 2006. The site suggested that such a good turnaround might be an indicator that the housing recovery is in full swing. But not so fast -- it wasn't so easy to get the home sold. According to The Huffington Post, Perry first listed the Los Angeles home for $13.25 million in June 2010, then it went through a series of price drops before finally selling for $2 million less than the original ask 2½ years later.

Even if he hit snags along the way, Perry's house is still worth every penny. The property's grandiose pool can be viewed from an underwater window in the nightclub/lounge and billiards area. There's a glass catwalk inside, which doubles as the ceiling of the wine cellar. The four-bedroom, six-bathroom home also has a large media room and a chef's kitchen with the very best appliances. The funniest part of the listing photos (below) are the models sunbathing and frolicking in the pool. Oh, what Realtors will do to land a sale.

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See also:
Tyler Perry Buys Atlanta Mansion as a Teardown
Jude Law, 'Side Effects' Star, Puts London Home Up for Sale
Beyonce Buys Home for Mom Tina Knowles, Reports Say (PHOTOS)

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Listing Fail: Apartments That Are Stunningly Average

January 29, 2013, 5:35 pm

≫ Next: Dan and Susie Kellogg's Family of 14 Lives in an RV Full-Time

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As writers (and occasional apartment hunters) there's nothing that peeves us more than deceptive descriptions in listings. (We wrote a whole article about it.) More specifically, there's nothing that peeves us more than the misuse of the word "stunning." So inappropriately ubiquitous is this adjective that many of us have completely forgotten its original definition. (Which is, according to Merriam-Webster, "strikingly impressive in beauty or excellence; causing astonishment or disbelief.")

Well, not that we're real estate geniuses or anything (maybe a little), but "strikingly impressive in beauty" is definitely not applicable to some apartments. See, for example, the listings below.

Exhibit A: Stunningly ... Average

Living in New York City gives you license to exaggerate -- a little. Bright rooms can be described as "sun-drenched." Rooms larger than 70 square feet can be classified as "generous." But in no city can you get away with calling a tiny, cluttered living room in a $2,746 per month, one-bedroom apartment "stunning."



Exhibit B: Stunningly Messy

It's a stretch, but we could probably see this apartment's potential to be "STUNNING" one day -- when all the construction tools, ladders and painting debris have been cleared.



Exhibit C: Stunningly Bland

You never know -- this apartment might actually be stunning. If we could see the rest of it... Because if the apartment is anything like this closet, it looks pretty run-of-the-mill to us. (These closets, however, are irrefutably stunning).



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See also:
Williston, N.D., Oil Boom Means Rents as High as New York City's
Renters Dodged the Housing Bust But Not Buying Now Could Cost Them

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Dan and Susie Kellogg's Family of 14 Lives in an RV Full-Time

January 29, 2013, 5:35 pm

≫ Next: Homes for Sale for $400,000: What You Can Get for the Money

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Many of us joke (and dream) about selling our homes and packing up our belongings for a life of adventure -- but this Colorado family actually did it. Dan and Susie Kellogg, along with their 12 children -- including 4-month-old baby Coby -- sold their home to live full-time in an RV and roam around the United States. "We wanted to get rid of the mortgage, get rid of the car payments and breathe!" Susie Kellogg told "The Today Show." The Kelloggs previously lived in a sprawling home in the mountain town of Glenwood, Colo.

While most American families go to school and work, the Kellogg family spends their days on a school bus, learning on the road. (Susie and Dan home-school their 12 children, pictured at left.) After their lessons, the children are free to have "adventures" -- swim in the ocean, hike and explore nature. Susie and Dan, a software engineer, work remotely every day from their laptops.

All meals are cooked and eaten in the RV. (Due to limited space, the family has to buy food daily.) The family also sleeps in the RV most nights, but they camp outside whenever they can.

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It might sound crazy, but many Americans have swapped the "normal life" -- a house in the suburbs, a backyard and a car -- for one that's a little more mobile and off-the-grid. Richard and Rachel Lane of San Francisco, Calif., also ditched their suburban life to live off the grid in a school bus. The couple have been living full-time on the bus for four years and don't pay rent or a mortgage -- only $100 a month in maintenance. They have the flexibility of living "wherever they want" and live in a manner that is socially aware and environmentally responsible.

"We wanted to make a home together, and this was a way we could own our own property and really create our own lifestyle," Rachel told AOL Real Estate earlier this month. "Living on a bus has given me so much perspective." Likewise, the Kellogg family enjoys being untethered from the constraints of traditional housing.

"This is what freedom is," Dan Kellogg told "The Today Show." "We've got the entire country as our backyard."

See also:
Tricycle House in China Gives New Meaning to Mobile Home
Teenager Builds 130-Square-Foot House for College

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Homes for Sale for $400,000: What You Can Get for the Money

January 30, 2013, 7:00 pm

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For $400,000, how much house can you get? We asked our friends at Realtor.com to pull out some of the best homes for sale right now for $400,000. You might be surprised at how much space is available for that price. There are quite the deals out there! Click through the gallery below to see what $400,000 buys you.

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Listing Fail: Outrageously Unsexy Listings

January 30, 2013, 7:00 pm

≫ Next: Spacious NYC Loft for Sale Proves There's More Than Closets in the Big Apple (House of the Day)

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Lately we've been seeing a lot of listings described as "sexy" -- even though they're total turnoffs. While a home with a stripper pole is undoubtedly pretty darn sexy, we'd leave that term (and its cousin, "seductive") off most other listings. Let us explain.

Exhibit A: Incredibly Sexy Stunner Studio

The studio below isn't just sexy, it's "incredibly sexy" (with a winky emoticon for emphasis). And who knows, it could actually be just that -- but with the listing's main image being that of the busted laundry room, we're probably not going to keep looking to find out.




Exhibit B: Sexy Kitchen

What this kitchen needs to be remotely "sexy" is a buff celebrity chef cooking us a meal with his shirt off. We suggest one of these guys.



Exhibit C: Too Sexy for This Listing

This "SeXy" one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment in New York's Prospect Park neighborhood is so unbelievably, controversially, mind-blowingly sexy that they can't even show a picture of it!!!! So "SeXy," perhaps, that it's not safe for work. ...



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See also:
Models in Real Estate Listings Turn Up The Heat (NSFW)
Williston, N.D., Oil Boom Means Rents as High as New York City's
Renters Dodged the Housing Bust But Not Buying Now Could Cost Them

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Spacious NYC Loft for Sale Proves There's More Than Closets in the Big Apple (House of the Day)

February 1, 2013, 4:10 am

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Please raise your glasses for a toast to @PlatProperties, without whom we'd never know that anything more than a closet exists in New York City -- leastwise this stunning, spacious loft in Lower Manhattan. It's definitely deserving of the crown as this week's #housepornthurs winner! The battle for the title was a classic East Coast/West Coast rivalry, with the NYC loft trumping this Beverly Hills penthouse in our weekly Facebook contest. If you're representing California, you need to bring it harder next time!

"Few things in New York are as special as open space, making this five-bedroom TriBeCa apartment a rare and beautiful find," the listing for the NYC loft says. (Trust us, we know.) From a private elevator entrance, you'll walk into an expansive foyer that opens into the 4,000-square-foot loft with high ceilings and light wood floors. Arched windows will bathe you in sunlight as you take in the spacious living room with a library and room for a dining area. The place has five bedrooms (each with three closets!). But the best -- of course -- is the master bedroom with his-and-her walk-in dressing areas that lead to a luxurious marble bathroom. The loft is going for $7.995 million, but we'd hustle all day and all night to snag this fabulous pad.

Arie Abadi and Cyrus Eyn of Platinum Properties have the listing.

Find more homes for sale in New York, N.Y., or search listings in your area.

The #housepornthurs contest is a weekly Twitter conversation hosted by @aolrealestate. Tweet listings every Thursday to AOL Real Estate with the hashtag #housepornthurs for a chance to have one of your submissions featured as a House of the Day the following week.

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Got a tip for House of the Day? Know of an exceptional or unusual property currently listed for sale? Please email colin.croughan@teamaol.com with your suggestions and be sure to include links to listing details and photos. (Due to the volume of response, we unfortunately are unable to reply to each submission.)

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Most Popular Cities to Move to in 2012

February 1, 2013, 4:10 am

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The U.S. Census Bureau said that 36.5 million people 1 year old and older relocated in 2012, but where? Penske Truck Rental, a global transportation services company, gives us a hint with its list of the most popular cities to move to in 2012. Penske says that its list is based on truck-rental reservations for one-way moves.

As Yahoo! Finance pointed out, the trend among those relocating was toward warmer climates. Click through the gallery below to see the most popular moving destinations of 2012.

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Joe Montana's Former San Francisco Condo for Rent

February 1, 2013, 4:10 am

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Whether you're rooting for the San Francisco 49ers to win the Super Bowl or not, you'll probably still agree that former 49ers quarterback (and all-around football legend) Joe Montana has scored some touchdowns in real estate. Not only does he have a stunning $35 million Tuscan-style estate in California's Wine Country, but Joe Cool also used to live in some sweet digs in San Francisco. Though his former San Francisco condo is way more low-key than his Napa Valley mansion (like way, way more low-key), it's still totally nice.

The spacious home offers wood-burning fireplaces, 9-foot ceilings, a private roof deck and views of the Golden Gate Bridge. It's still pricey -- $5,000 a month to rent -- but much more affordable than Montana's $35 million home (which has been on the market for a while). Plus, for added football star power, rumor has it that former 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark also lived in the San Francisco townhouse, too!

Sotheby's International Realty has the listing.

Find homes for sale in San Francisco, or search listings in your area.

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See also:
Texans Linebacker Puts Home Up for Sale
Super Bowl Spotlight on New Orleans' Post-Katrina Promise
NFL Star's Former Mansion Destroyed During Firefighting Exercise

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10 Best States to Default on Your Mortgage

February 1, 2013, 4:10 am

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Filed under: News,Foreclosures

Defaulting on your mortgage inevitably pushes you into the foreclosure process, and that can be a very traumatic experience. But there is a glimmer of hope, even if you're already getting phone calls and notices warning you of impending foreclosure. If you live in a state where it takes an exceptionally long time to complete the foreclosure process, you have more time to save your home from foreclosure.

There are a number of states where it takes much more than a year for the foreclosure process to be completed; in states with the longest foreclosure timelines, it takes just shy of three years. For homeowners facing foreclosure in those states, that's good: That gives them plenty of time to try and refinance their mortgages, sell their homes or find other ways to stop the foreclosure process, said Daren Blomquist, vice president of online foreclosure marketplace RealtyTrac. Of course, it also allows them plenty of time to just live in their homes for free until the foreclosure process is completed, Blomquist added.

The long foreclosure timelines in some states are primarily due to their judicial foreclosure processes, meaning the courts are involved in every step. It's "a more bureaucratic process" that often gets slowed down by either the courts' inability to process a large volume of foreclosure cases in a timely manner or judges who are dissatisfied with the handling of each case, Blomquist said. But long foreclosure timelines aren't good for everyone. The longer a home lingers in foreclosure, the more it drags down values of surrounding properties. "It's best for the others living around [homeowners in foreclosure] -- and the larger community -- if the property is transferred to a new homeowner who is making mortgage payments," Blomquist said.

With all of this in mind, RealtyTrac provided AOL Real Estate with data on the average number of days it takes to complete the foreclosure process in each state. From this, we gleaned the 10 states with the longest foreclosure timelines -- and those that are safest for homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages.

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See also:
Mortgage Delinquency Rates and Foreclosure Rates Fell in 2012
10 States Where Foreclosure Deals Are Everywhere

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Adam Lanza's Newtown Home Was 'Black Spot' in Neighborhood, Resident Says

February 1, 2013, 4:10 am

≫ Next: Prince Charles to Open Dumfries House to Couples for Valentine's Day

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Filed under: News,Buying,Selling

Even before the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., occurred, people who lived in gunman Adam Lanza's neighborhood said that the Lanza home had always been a "black spot" in the neighborhood. According to neighbors, the Lanza family was very quiet and largely unknown in the neighborhood. Their sprawling yellow Colonial (pictured above), located in a wooded area at the end of Yogananda Street, was very private. It's where police say that Adam Lanza (pictured below) shot his mother to death before going to the school, where he then killed 20 students and six staffers, and himself.

"We know all the neighbors but them," a neighbor of the Lanzas told The Wall Street Journal back in December. "I wouldn't know them if they drove right by me." Now another Newtown resident, Nicole Hockley, whose son Dylan died in the Sandy Hook shooting, is speaking out about the Lanzas' place in the neighborhood. Hockley said that even before the shooting occurred, the Lanza home was the only one that wasn't completely part of the community -- "a black spot in the neighborhood," she said.

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"No one spoke about them. I've never heard a neighbor speak of them. Perhaps if there was more engagement within a community with neighbors looking out for each other, supporting each other, then maybe they would have gotten help in a different sort of way," Hockley told CBS News in an interview. "But to know everyone on your street except for one house, and that happens to be a house with people that -- or a person who does this -- that's kind of hard to swallow. So there is some regret there."

As Adam Lanza's home and a crime scene, it's expected to suffer even more of a stigma: Home values of homes where criminals have lived can plummet to less than half of the home's initial market price. According to Realtors, homes where murders took place -- and where murderers have lived -- might typically stay on the market for two to seven years longer than they would otherwise.

Furthermore, neighbors' perceptions and third-party judgements can act as deterrents for homebuyers who might otherwise be interested in purchasing the home. "Some people are concerned their kids will be teased or hassled," said Randall Bell of Bell Anderson & Saunders, who specializes in stigmatized real estate. "[They] feel that the crime stigma will distract from just living peacefully."

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Prince Charles to Open Dumfries House to Couples for Valentine's Day

February 1, 2013, 4:10 am

≫ Next: Brooklyn Nets' Deron Williams Buys Penthouse for $15.8 Million in NYC (House of the Day)

≪ Previous: Adam Lanza's Newtown Home Was 'Black Spot' in Neighborhood, Resident Says

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Filed under: News,Celebrity Homes

We never really pegged Prince Charles as a romantic, but it seems the stiff royal has a soft spot for the world's official day of love. This Valentine's Day, the Prince of Wales is hiring out the Dumfries House in East Ayrshire, Scotland (pictured above) -- a house that the Prince gallantly "saved for the nation," just before it was due to be sold for 25 million pounds (about $50 million) in 2007. (The Prince helped to put funds together to purchase the home and its collection of Chippendale furniture for 45 million pounds.) A special Valentine's Day dinner will be prepared for 40 lucky guests in the great steward's dining room.

According to British tabloid The Telegraph, guests will be given a "light-hearted tour (with a hint of romance!) of the house," then be led into the dining room, which will be "lavishly dressed for the most romantic evening of the year." A spokesperson for the property confirmed that it's encouraging couples to "share the love" by offering a complimentary bottle of prosecco when two or more couples book a table together.

Interested in having dinner at the 18th century Palladian Dumfries House this Valentine's Day? You can find more information, and reserve your table, on the official Dumfries House website.

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See also:
Prince William and Kate to Flee City for Remote Home
French Chateau Lists for $32 Million After Resort Plans Fall Through (House of the Day)

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Brooklyn Nets' Deron Williams Buys Penthouse for $15.8 Million in NYC (House of the Day)

February 1, 2013, 4:10 am

≫ Next: 7 Super Bowl Party Houses That Would Rock Your Face Off

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Filed under: News,Celebrity Homes,House of the Day

Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams is shaking off a tough few games and getting back to shooting like a superstar NBA player. We're not sure where his motivation is coming from -- but a new $15.8 million penthouse would probably light anyone's fire. That's gotta be what it is: Williams just bought himself a posh 6,800-square-foot pad for that price in New York City's high-rolling TriBeCa neighborhood, the New York Post reported.

Williams snagged the place after it had gotten some serious celebrity action. Sean "Diddy" Combs was eyeing the six-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom penthouse last year, according to Curbed, but the music mogul decided to pass on it. Williams got a little bit of a deal, at least. The home was listed for $16.9 million at one point before the Nets star scooped it up for more than $1 million less.

It's a heck of a place: You've heard of chef's kitchens, but this place has a real one. It's restaurant grade, with the best of the best in stainless steel appliances, ample freezer storage and a long island -- everything you'd find in a four-star eatery. The home also has massive rooms, a conservatory with soaring glass ceilings, a climate-controlled wine cellar and an expansive 3,000-square-foot terrace (featuring a bridge and koi pond).

Find homes for sale in New York, N.Y., or search listings in your area.

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See more Houses of the Day on AOL Real Estate.

Got a tip for House of the Day? Know of an exceptional or unusual property currently listed for sale? Please email colin.croughan@teamaol.com with your suggestions and be sure to include links to listing details and photos. (Due to the volume of response, we unfortunately are unable to reply to each submission.)

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7 Super Bowl Party Houses That Would Rock Your Face Off

February 2, 2013, 7:51 pm

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Filed under: News,Lifestyle

If you're like us, you'll be glued to the TV this Super Bowl Sunday with beer in hand and pizza in lap, most likely going hoarse from screaming at the screen at the top of your lungs. But also, if you're like us, you'll be wishing you were doing all this in a giant party pad, watching the Big Game on a huge movie screen in your private theater while hosting the best Super Bowl bash the world has ever seen. We all have dreams.

So let's let our imaginations run wild, shall we? We scoured our listings of homes for sale for the most Super Bowl-worthy places we could find, and we've rounded them up for you here: From luxurious home theaters to gorgeous game rooms -- and some great home bars to keep the beers flowing all day. Below are seven of the best houses for hosting a Super Bowl party that are on the market now.

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See also:
Super Bowl Spotlight on New Orleans' Post-Katrina Promise
Joe Montana's Former San Francisco Condo
Texans Linebacker Puts Home Up for Sale

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