Tag Archives: residential real estate

Inside Kanye West’s once-foreclosed childhood home with Donda

Kanye West is coming home again.

The controversial rapper is still working on his much-anticipated new album, “Donda,” inspired by his late mother and, possibly, his childhood home in Chicago.

Over the weekend, the 44-year-old hip-hop trailblazer sent fans a cryptic tease of the house as the long-delayed release of “Donda” looms, hinting at what fans can expect when it comes to his forthcoming music.

The Grammy winner deleted all of his past Instagram photos centered around the new album to share only one picture with his 7.4 million followers — of the home he grew up in with his beloved mama Donda West, the former professor and chair of the English and Speech Department at Chicago State University before her death at 58 in 2007.

West’s viral post now has more than 1.5 million likes and nearly 40,000 comments from diehard fans — and The Post has tracked down interior images of the property in the South Shore neighborhood.

The home features three bedrooms and one bathroom.
Realtor.com

The 1,600-square-foot house has changed hands several times since it was last owned by West’s mother over 18 years ago when she sold it for $121,000 in 2003, property records show.  

Kanye West teases his childhood home in Chicago as his latest album “Donda” remains pending. His Instagram post now has more than 1.5 million likes and nearly 40,000 comments from diehard fans.
Instagram

West lived in the house for about eight of his childhood years, according to his mother’s 2007 memoir, “Raising Kanye: Life Lessons From the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar.” 

“I didn’t know it, but South Shore, and especially South Shore Drive, where we lived, was considered ‘the sh–,’ a prestigious area in a coveted part of town,” she wrote at the time. “We were within walking distance of Lake Michigan and our backyard backed up to Rainbow Park. It’s in the kitchen of that house that Kanye talks about kneeling on the kitchen floor and saying, ‘Mama, I’m gonna love you ‘til you don’t hurt no more.’”

Donda West and Kanye West attend a book signing for her book “Raising Kanye: Life Lessons From the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar” on May 9, 2007, at Borders in Los Angeles.
Getty Images
Wild shrubs and greenery surround the front yard.
Realtor.com
The main living area.
Realtor.com
The bathroom.
Realtor.com

Over the last two decades, the home has since gone into foreclosure and languished — even when it was featured on a 2018 episode of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”

In 2011, a camera crew even followed West as he visited the home with Jay-Z. Initially built in 1905, the home is situated on a 7,000-square-foot lot and is made up of three bedrooms and one bathroom. 

The dining area.
Realtor.com
One of the bedrooms.
Realtor.com

Donda sold the home after her son had a run-in with some boys at Rainbow Beach Park, who demanded his bike and then slashed his tires when he refused to give it up. 

“Call it black flight or whatever, I was ready to go,” Donda wrote. “What if the next step was to recruit him for some gang or something? I wasn’t having it. It didn’t take long to find the house in Blue Island.” 

The home was sold less than a year before Kanye released his 2004 debut studio album, “The College Dropout.”

The back of the home.
Realtor.com
The backyard with a shed.
Realtor.com

His mom died five years later after undergoing cosmetic surgery.

In 2013, West launched Donda’s House with co-founder Rhymefest, a nonprofit youth arts organization. Donda’s House would then purchase the South Shore home in 2016 to turn it into a community arts incubator. But the organization said in 2017 the house had to be demolished because it suffered from “significant structural damage.” The home had already gone through foreclosure in the years prior. 

An old photo of Kanye West alongside his late mother, Donda West.
MUST READ – Jeff Rayner/Coleman-
Kanye West, alongside his mom, Donda, after winning Best Rap Solo Performance for “Gold Digger,” Best Rap Song for “Diamonds From Sierra Leone” and Best Rap Album for “Late Registration,” at the 48th annual Grammy award ceremony.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.com

After some controversy with the organization, Kanye officially purchased back the home for $225,000 with plans to renovate it in 2019 under his LLC, Donda Services. 

Shortly after, the city took notice of the South Shore house and filed a demolition court complaint in January 2019. The report from July 2018 found roof damage, missing siding and issues with the stairs, among other alleged problems.

The front door.
Realtor.com
The sidewalk in front of the home.
Realtor.com

But fortunately, the city approved a permit in October 2019 to replace the roof; a permit in November 2019 to fix electrical wiring and a renovation permit in April 2020, nearly two months after the stop-work order was issued.

While the home continues renovations, Kanye still appears to be working on the album. 

Kanye West is seen at “DONDA by Kanye West” listening event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 22, 2021, in Atlanta.
Getty Images for Universal Music

Earlier this month, the star livestreamed another listening party for “Donda” from Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but the album has yet to hit streaming services. 

In his first listening party last month, Kanye got emotional when performing one of his songs from the album — “Love Unconditionally” — crying as he was rapping about “losing my family.”

Another still from “DONDA by Kanye West” listening event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 22, 2021, in Atlanta.
Getty Images for Universal Music

But fans aren’t holding their breath, including Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue model Tinashe, whose anticipated new album, “333,” actually did drop on time.

“I’ve been a Kanye fan in the past,” she previously told The Post, “but I’m definitely not a fan of maybe some of the decisions he’s made throughout his career. But I’m excited to see what he brings sonically with the new album because if there’s one thing Kanye does, it’s art well.

“So I’m interested to receive his art whenever he’s ready to give it to us,” she said.

The Post has reached out to West’s reps for comment.



Read original article here

Inside the Obamas’ $12 million Martha’s Vineyard estate

The Obamas’ $11.75 million Martha’s Vineyard estate is expected to be the site of a controversial outdoor birthday bash this weekend.

Former President Obama and his FLOTUS purchased the sprawling 29-acre estate on the Edgartown Great Pond in December 2019 after previously renting it, The Post previously reported.

Now, Barack and Michelle are inviting 475 big-name guests to a 60th b-day blowout for the 44th US president, who was born on Aug. 4, 1961. The packed party will also be staffed by 200, The Post reported Monday morning.

Despite the fact that the outdoor Massachusetts party requires vaccinations, something the ex-president has advocated for, the get-together has been criticized for assembling a large number of people during the pandemic.

One thing’s for sure — the Obamas’ A-list pals will have plenty of space should they need to seek shelter: The interior of the 6,900-square-foot house has seven bedrooms and eight-and-a-half bathrooms. It has a vaulted ceiling living room with a stone fireplace, a chef’s kitchen and a formal dining room with a wall of windows, according to Realtor.com.

The Obamas’ $11.75 million Martha’s Vineyard estate is expected to be the site of a controversial outdoor bash next week. Obama’s former second-in-command, President Joe Biden, will reportedly be unable to attend his big 6-0 soiree. However, Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney and Steven Spielberg are reportedly among the invited guests.
Realtor.com

The kitchen has a breakfast room in the first story of a dodecagon — 12-sided — attachment on the house. Upstairs is positioned as a 12-sided conference room in listing photos.

The primary bedroom suite has a fireplace and a private sundeck, according to the listing.

Outside, the home has a screened porch, a garden, a stone patio, a pool with a hot tub and an outdoor shower, according to the listing.

The two-story home was built in 2001 by Celtics owner Wycliffe Grousbeck and his ex-wife Corinne Grousbeck, according to property records.

President Obama and his family have also rented other houses in Martha’s Vineyard.

The great room has peaked ceilings and a stone fireplace.
Realtor.com

The 12-sided breakfast room is pictured.
Realtor.com

Obama’s former second-in-command, President Joe Biden, will reportedly be unable to attend his big 6-0 soiree. However, Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney and Steven Spielberg are reportedly among the invited guests, The Post reported.

For his 50th, President Obama hosted Jay-Z, Stevie Wonder, Tom Hanks and Chris Rock at a party at the White House.

This entertainment room has coffered ceilings, a fireplace and is positioned with a pool table.
Realtor.com
The screened-in porch has a fireplace.
Realtor.com
Vast views are visible outside the conference room.
Realtor.com

Barack, who is now a minority owner of NBA Africa, has two daughters, Malia and Sasha, with his wife Michelle. Michelle Obama stars in the Netflix series “Waffles + Mochi” and has a best-selling memoir, “Becoming.”

Representatives for the Obamas did not return The Post’s request for comment.

One of the home’s seven bedrooms is pictured.
Realtor.com

This bedroom is photographed with bunkbeds.
Realtor.com

Read original article here

Italian town Sambuca is upping the price of its homes to $2

It’s more than twice the price of a $1 pizza slice, but homeowners eager for a fixer-upper can still head to Italy to snag themselves something nice.

On the island of Sicily, Sambuca di Sicilia — which rose to global fame in 2019 for selling a stock of abandoned homes for as low as €1, or just over $1, in an effort to revitalize the depopulated town — will put a second batch of similar properties up for grabs, according to CNN Travel. This time, they’re doubling the cost: a whopping €2, or $2.36 in US currency.

The new stock encompasses some 20 abandoned buildings, many of which are adjacent to a house. City officials hope the high inventory and low price will give deal-hungry buyers the chance to buy more than one property and combine them, CNN reports.

This portfolio is located in Sambuca’s Saracen neighborhood, which locals abandoned after an earthquake rocked the area in 1968.

As for specifics, they’ll go up for auction for that still-low price of €2, whose dollar equivalent is less than a swipe on New York City’s subway, and will sell to the highest bidder. The application process will close on November 5 and a public auction will likely be slated for several weeks later.

Idyllic Sambuca is located on the island of Sicily, off of the Italian mainland’s southern coast.
Shutterstock

In 2019, following the craze for the €1 homes, sale organizers resorted to auctioning off the first wave with 16 up for grabs — four of which are undergoing renovations. A number ultimately sold for €1, but prices peaked at €25,000, or $29,531 in today’s exchange rate. Most sold for between roughly $6,000 and $12,000 in current dollar value.

One of those buyers was Brooklyn-native actress and “Sopranos” star Lorraine Bracco, who chronicled her yearlong renovation in the HGTV series “My Big Italian Adventure.” She bought the 200-year-old, dilapidated casa for €1. She later ended up buying the next door property in a private sale, and added three bedrooms and two bathrooms for an extra $53,157.

Even regular folk have jumped at the opportunity. In 2019, the story of Chicagoan Meredith Tabbone, who purchased a Sambuca villa at auction for $6,000, appeared in multiple reports. Since then, she’s chronicled her experience on social media — for all those keen to follow her lead and take the strada less travelled.

Following the 2019 rush among prospective buyers to grab homes, sleepy Sambuca saw a revitalization with new businesses opening.
DAPRESS / SplashNews.com

The craze surrounding that first sale brought life to the sleepy town, with new wine bars, photo labs and boutiques opening up.

What buyers can get in this round: a smattering of single-story homes whose interior Moorish courtyards have lemon trees. There are also multistory spreads with outdoor spaces overlooking verdant fields where sheep roam. Even vacant patches and spaces in between buildings will go up for auction, which gives winning bidders the freedom of building their spots from scratch. Other opportunities include homes with painted majolica tile floors.

In 2019, American Meredith Tabbone purchased a home — in need of some serious TLC — in the historic hilltop town of Sambuca di Sicilia, at auction with a winning bid of $6,000.
Meredith Tabbone

What’s certain is that the bulk of what’s offered is in need of serious repair.

Those interested in bidding must pay a $5,906 deposit guarantee — returned in full if they lose the bid. Upon the closing of the purchase, new owners must finish their renovations within three years.



Read original article here

Bathroom doesn’t have walls in $900K home for sale

If you’ve always dreamed of an open-concept toilet, this house is for you.

A Boston home for sale on Zillow that appears to be normal and quaint is actually anything but.

The newly renovated four-bedroom, three-bathroom property — in foreclosure — is listed at a whopping $899,000. However, one of the bathroom layouts is pretty crappy.

It starts the moment you walk through the front door, where a bathroom is on the left side of the open-concept space.

Although the listing states three full bathrooms, this bathroom is missing one main component: a wall.

Photos of the property were first shared by the Instagram account Zillow Gone Wild, and social media immediately labeled it a “nightmare.” 

Aerial view of the home.
Realtor.com
The very exposed bathroom.
Realtor.com
The bathroom is in the entry of the house.
Realtor.com

“Do we have to be open about EVERYTHING these days??” one Instagram user said. 

“Those glass walls really be doing the most for your privacy,” another joked.

“This is literally what I have recurring nightmares about,” one person wrote, while another called it a “freakshow.”

Built in 1910, the two-story home spans 2,000 square feet.

The home is made up of three “full” bathrooms.
Realtor.com
Social media users are horrified the bathroom is missing walls.
Realtor.com

While the rest of the house seems pretty normal, with modern renovations and pristine hardwood floors, the bathroom scenario is pretty hard to overlook. 

“Gotta love the clear glass between the shower and toilet, but frosted glass between the toilet and sink,” someone quipped.  

The newly renovated kitchen with stainless steel appliances.
Realtor.com
The open-floor living area.
Realtor.com

This isn’t the only home up for sale with some questionable features.

A Lake Tahoe, California, home made the rounds on social media thanks to the creepy mannequins placed in every room. There was also a Kentucky home that was missing a bathtub in its entirety.

And, as New Yorkers know, it’s not uncommon to find a tub in a kitchen in the Big Apple.



Read original article here