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What's your fancy: Berry Gordy's historic "Motown Mansion" or Ted Turner's private island off the South Carolina coast? Or perhaps the epic estates formerly owned by Jennifer Lopez, Michael Jordan, and Michael Jackson are more your speed? For the right price—a few million to upwards of $100 million—these homes, and the bragging rights that come along with them, can be yours.
Spring and summer is prime time for sales of all manner of homes, including those owned by the rich and famous. And celebrity homes on the market aren't limited to southern California, but extend to areas such as Long Island, Chicago, Savannah, and even Detroit. Here are 10 of the hottest celebrity properties on the market right now.
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony
No fewer than two mansions formerly owned by Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony are currently for sale. In addition to $17 million, nine-bedroom estate in the gated California community of Hidden Hills, the former couple's home on Long Island's Gold Coast is also on the market. Listed by Dolly Lenz Real Estate, the asking price is $9.495 million. That's the price after a recent cut—not long ago, it was listed at $12 million.
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony
Lopez and Anthony lived in the home until announcing their separation in 2011. The compound, which consists of two homes and a total of 10 bedrooms on eight acres, is now listed under the ownership of Anthony, or rather his birth name, Marco Muniz. The main house is a 16-room red-brick mansion built in 1941. The guest cottage is a five-bedroom, 4,000-square-foot Colonial.
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony
Both Anthony and Lopez are world-famous entertainers, and yes, this place is great for entertaining—and performing. There is an oversized pool and pool pavilion, as well as a tennis court and vast manicured grounds. Inside the main house, there's a movie theater and a professional-quality recording studio.
Michael Jordan
Appropriately, basketball legend Michael Jordan named his estate Legend Point. His Airness's attempts to sell the 56,000-square-foot property in Highland Park, a wealthy suburb north of Chicago, are approaching legendary status as well. It was first listed for sale in 2012 for $29 million, which was reduced to $21 million about a year later. In late 2013, the plan called to put the 7.39-acre compound up for auction with a minimum bid of $13 million, but again it failed to sell. In the most recent listing, the estate's asking price is $14.855 million, or about half of its initial price.
Michael Jordan
In the main residence, the living room and family room are both double height—fitting given that Jordan and many of his pals are oversized athletes. For that matter, many of the home's features were designed with all manner of players in mind. The original doors from the Chicago Playboy Mansion mark the entrance to the "Gentleman's Retreat" area, where there are card tables, a cigar room, and a wet bar. The home also boasts a wine cellar with space for 500+ bottles, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a movie theater, an indoor tennis court, and a golf putting green. Meanwhile, for the ladies, the estate includes a "full-service beauty salon."
Michael Jordan
What Jordan estate would be complete without a basketball court? The compound comes with an NBA-quality indoor basketball court with a custom sound system. The backboards are motorized, the flooring is cushioned hardwood, and the Jordan "Jumpman" logo is painted in the center of the court.
Paula Deen
Poised on the Wilmington River with 300 feet of water frontage, the estate known as Riverbend has been described by listing agent Seabolt Brokers as "the most significant offering in Savannah, Ga." and "truly its own private resort." Owned by Paula Deen, the TV chef and restaurateur who came under fire for racist comments in 2013, the 5.5-acre property features a 14,500-square-foot main home, two guest cottages, and a 10,000-square-foot barn with three bedrooms and an eight-car garage. Asking price: $12.5 million.
Paula Deen
In total, the property has 28,000 square feet of living space, including—of course—a gourmet kitchen with commercial grade appliances in the main home. There is also an outdoor kitchen with a trio of grills, a smoker, and four outdoor refrigerators, plus a pool with an outdoor "dive-in theater" for watching movies under the stars.
Berry Gordy
Billed as the "Motown Mansion" by realtor Keller Williams, this 2.2-acre estate in Detroit features a 10-bedroom, 10,500-square-foot Italian Renaissance main residence, plus an adjoining 4,400-square-foot pool house. Motown Records founder Berry Gordy owned the property from 1967 until 2002, and the likes of Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, and the Jackson 5 have been guests. It is listed at $1.295 million.
Berry Gordy
The property is said to have undergone a significant restoration over the past decade, with much of the original architecture and design preserved intact. The current owner, Detroit lawyer Cynthia Reaves, said that she acquired the property after writing a letter to Gordy pleading with him to sell her the home. "I told him about my love of the city of Detroit, my love of old homes, the fact that I had grown up in this neighborhood. And that I really felt that a home like this deserved to be part of the community,” Reaves told a local news program earlier this year. “I remember growing up across the street as a kid and saw all the wonderful parties that he would host here. The red carpet would go around the block. The stars would come out and walk around on the red carpet to the parties. And I remember seeing the Jackson 5 here trying to play golf in his backyard.”
Denise Richards
Let's cut right to the chase: This place has its own doggie hotel! Owned by Denise Richards, the actress and ex-wife of Charlie Sheen, this six-bedroom, 1.1-acre property in the Hidden Hills gated community in southern California features an onyx fireplace, cathedral ceilings, and two pools, including a grotto, waterfall, and "beach" entryway. But anyone who looks at the home will be talking about the pet hotel—a private kennel custom-made for allowing dogs to feel right at home. It's being listed by The Altman Brothers for $7.749 million.
Denise Richards
This home is made for dog lovers and foodies alike. In addition to the pet hotel, there is a wine tasting room with temperature-controlled walls for keeping bottles chilled at just the right degree. The kitchen is gourmet and fully state of the art, complete with a pizza oven and large windows overlooking lush manicured lawns and greenery.
Michael Jackson
Currently dubbed the "Sycamore Valley Ranch," this epic 2,700-acre estate in Los Olivos, Calif., 40 miles outside Santa Barbara, is world famous as the "Neverland Ranch" long owned by Michael Jackson. The asking price is a cool $100 million, according to Hilton & Hyland and Sotheby's, which share a joint listing of the property. The main residence is a 12,500-square-foot building in French-Normandy style, and there are a total of 22 buildings on the grounds, including three guest homes and a 5,500-square-foot movie theater with a stage.
Michael Jackson
Jackson sold the property in 2008, when he was in dire financial circumstances. When he lived there, Neverland boasted amusement park rides and a zoo's worth of animals, including giraffes, orangutans, baboons, and an elephant. The animals and rides are gone now, though the private railroad tracks and train station that Jackson used to entertain guests remain.
Michael Jackson
Jackson purchased the estate in 1987, and over the years it was used for a wide range of events, including Elizabeth Taylor's 1991 wedding (her seventh), the World's Children Congress, and numerous fundraising gatherings. And yes, this is where Jackson allegedly abused children: When he was facing child molestation charges in the mid-'00s, prosecutors said Jackson used Neverland as a lure for children.
Ted Turner
For a mere $23.777 million, you can be the owner of an entire private island—specifically, St. Phillips Island, a 4,680-acre retreat outside of historic Beaufort, S.C., reached only by boat. The listing from realty company Plantation Services states that media mogul Ted Turner purchased the island—now a Registered Natural Landmark—in 1979. The property comes with two residences, and an agreement with The Nature Conservancy stipulates that the owner may add up to 10 more residences on the island, which has its own water and power supply.
Ted Turner
"The Turner family and their friends have enjoyed sailing, fishing and entertaining here for thirty-five years," the listing description notes of the island, which is a short sail away from Hilton Head. Among the 4,680 acres that fall into the domain of St. Phillips Island, more than 1,000 acres are categorized as "Upland," or firm ground, and 70 acres are sandy beaches.