Celebrity Homes

Michael Phelps didn't just take a beating in the 200m butterfly recently ... he also got his ASS kicked by the real estate market -- letting go of his swank Baltimore condo for $400,000 less than what he bought it for.

Phelps purchased the 4,080 sq. ft. home in Fells Point back in 2007 for $1.69 million -- but then the housing market crashed ... and so did the value of his home.

The 19-medal-winning swimmer listed the 3-bedroom pad earlier this year for $1.42 million -- but even that was asking too much ... because when he finally sold the place last week ... he could only get $1.25 mill.

For the mathematically challenged, that's a loss in value of $440,000 -- but it's just a drop in the bucket ... the guy's agent once predicted Phelps would earn roughly $100 million during his lifetime from endorsements.

Golf superstar David Duval has made more than $18 million on the PGA Tour ... which is why it's pretty shocking that his Colorado mansion is in the middle of some major foreclosure drama.

According to documents obtained by TMZ, David and his wife Suzanne took out a loan for $5.9 million back in 2005 to buy a $12.35 million home in Cherry Hills Village, CO ... a suburb of Denver near Payton Manning's new home.

But the bank claims Duval has failed to make his payments ... and now it's going after the golfer's home to get it's money.

According to documents, the home will be put up for public auction on November 7 ... unless Duval can come up with the money.

Robert Pattinson isn't wasting any time -- a UHaul was spotted outside the Los Feliz home he shares (shared?) with Kristen Stewart ... following reports he's moved out of the love nest he lives (lived?) in with his (ex?) girlfriend.

Kristen's baffling public apology after her alleged affair with married director Rupert Sanders set this chain of events in motion.

You know you're rich when ... you spend $500,000 to upgrade 160 "X Factor" contestants to a "nicer" hotel simply because you felt like it -- like Simon Cowell just did.

It all went down in Miami ... where the 160 wannabes who made it past the audition rounds are competing for 32 coveted spots.

Sources tell us ... Cowell -- who created the show -- decided he wanted to reward the contestants for making it this far ... and didn't want them slumming in a "regular" hotel.

So he upgraded ALL of the contestants to the exclusive Mondrian Miami South Beach Hotel ... and promised to cover everyone's meals during the audition process.

Joe Jackson has been living at the famous Jackson compound in Encino recently ... but no one knows how he got in ... and it appears he's a garden variety squatter.

As we previously reported, Joe was seen entering the home today ... and yesterday, it appeared the home got a visit from some medical personnel ... presumably to perform some tests on Joe.

The house is owned by the Michael Jackson Estate. Katherine Jackson has no legal claim to the property.

Sources tell TMZ ... the Estate is paying $30,000 per month for the Calabasas home where Katherine and Michael's kids have been living.

The only way Joe could be living in the Encino house legally is if he got permission from the Estate ... and sources connected with the Jackson family tell TMZ ... no such permission was ever given.

Sources tell us ... it ain't the Ritz because the house is currently undergoing extensive renovation.

The San Diego house in which NFL legend Junior Seau killed himself has been put up for sale.

The 2,200 sq. ft. beachfront property was listed yesterday for $2.3 million. It has 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.

The realtor tells TMZ, he plans to sell the house before the end of summer -- and WILL be informing prospective buyers about the famous suicide that took place inside the home on May 3rd.

Mortgage payments are allegedly an uncommon practice for rapper Common ... who is now in danger of having his Chicago apartment foreclosed on because he allegedly hasn't paid his mortgage since March.

According to legal docs,Common (real name Lonnie Lynn) and his manager, Derek Dudley, got a mortgage for a condo back in 2008. But Bank of America claims ... beginning in March, the duo stopped making the monthly, $2,285 mortgage payments.

So now BOA is getting tough, filing foreclosure docs. The Bank wants to sell the property, and recoup the amount of the mortgage, plus interest and penalties, which total $345,389 ... and 52 cents.

It's black ... it's white ... its got a skull on the coffee table ... and now Nicky Hilton's Hollywood Hills home could be yours for a cool $3 million (skull may not be included).

Paris' little sister just put her 4,072 square foot home on the market ... after spending roughly 5 years in the Hollywood pad, located right above the Sunset Strip.

Nicky bought the place for $2.8 mil in 2007 ... and this week, she listed the home for $2.95.

It's not a bad place ... 3 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, a lagoon-style pool, gym, sauna, tons of privacy ... and 2 huge master closets (duh, she's a Hilton).

If Nicky can't find the right buyer, she's willing to lease the place ... for $15,000 per month.

Selma Blair unloaded her swanky L.A. mansion after 6 months on the market, TMZ has learned, but she didn't let just anyone buy it -- she waited until ANOTHER celebrity came along to scoop it up.

The 2,918 sq. ft Hollywood pad was listed back in January of this year for $1.78 million ... it boasts 3-bedrooms, 3-baths, white wooden floors, glass walls and a Koi pond ... which is great if you like Koi.

But after half a year on the market there was still no sale ... until now.

Other famous person, Liz Meriwether -- creator of Fox's hit show "New Girl"-- saw the modern-decor crib and just had to have it -- so she laid down some major "New Girl" bucks to call it home.

Now that Blake Griffin has signed a five-year contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, the fate of the franchise rests on whether or not Chris Paul does the same next summer ... and TMZ may have uncovered a clue in the deed to his new home.

As TMZ first reported, Paul picked up a sweet Bel Air mansion that boasts 8 bedrooms and 10.5 bathrooms ... and used to belong to Avril Lavigne.

Paul paid $8.5 million for the house ... but according to the deed, he put a down payment of $3.5 million. The standard down payment on a house like that is usually around 30% of the total price, but Chris' payment represents 44% ... a pretty decent sign he plans to keep the house for some time.

"Real Housewives of O.C." star Vicki Gunvalson just scored a multi-million-dollar haul in her drawn-out divorce -- TMZ has learned, she's walking away with the ex-couple's gorgeous mansion.

Vicki and her husband Donn have been hammering out the details of their divorce since Vicki filed back in 2010 -- and now, TMZ has obtained legal docs which show Vicki was granted sole ownership over the ex-couple's 5,400 square foot Coto de Caza home.

It's GIANT ... and it sits on a one-acre plot of land, featuring a ridiculous pool with a waterfall.

As we reported, the Gunvalsons attempted to sell the house last year for $2.695 million -- but clearly, the house didn't budge. So now, they've decided it's all Vicki's problem.

Peyton Manning is taking his first big step as a brand new Denver Bronco -- TMZ has learned, the star quarterback just purchased a multi-million dollar mansion in a ritzy suburb outside the Mile High City.

Real estate sources tell TMZ, Peyton -- who split with the Indianapolis Colts earlier this year -- closed the deal Monday for the 16,000 square foot home in the exclusive Cherry Hills Village, agreeing to pay $4,575,000.

The house has 7 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, 7 car garage, a gated entrance, a panic room ... and a freaking elevator.

But Peyton won't have a problem affording the place -- the guy signed a 5-year contract with the Broncos on March 20th ... worth $96 MILLION.

Evander Holyfield couldn't fight his way outta this one ... the former heavyweight champ is finally moving out of his foreclosed Georgia mansion after failing to strike a deal with the bank.

TMZ broke the story ... Holyfield owed more than $14 million on the 54,000 square foot mega-mansion ... which was recently sold at a foreclosure auction for $7.5 million.

After the sale, the bank that purchased the home allowed Evander to continue to live there temporarily ... but judging by the moving trucks lined up at his front door ... it seems he's finally worn out his welcome.

We're told the trucks spent several hours at the mansion -- though it's unclear where the movers are taking E.H.'s stuff.

R&B superstar Ne-Yo spends a lot of time writing hits for other people ... and now that's paying off, 'cause dude just dropped over $500k on a siiiiiick house in GA.

The singer / songwriter bought a sweet new 5,900 square foot pad in Milton, Georgia ... it boasts 6 bedrooms, 5 baths, a finished terrace and overlooks a golf course ... which is awesome if you like golf.

Ne-Yo bought the house for a cool $550,000 ... but from the pics we're hoping he'll spend a few more song-writing bucks re-decorating.

Just sayin'.

Prince von Ahole is about to get some incredibly famous house guests -- TMZ has learned he's renting out his Bel Air mansion for a movie starring Matt Damon and Michael Douglas.

Sources close to the Prince tell us ... Ahole and his wife Zsa Zsa Gabor struck a deal with the people behind Steven Soderbergh's upcoming project, "Behind the Candelabra" ... an HBO film about Liberace.

The film stars Douglas and Damon -- and we're told producers plan on shooting inside von Ahole's pad for at least 23 days.

Sources tell us Prince will rake in somewhere in the ballpark of $70k from the deal ... which is HUUUUGE because Ahole needs the money.

We broke the story ... Prince took a $1.5 million personal loan to pay off his mortgage in the face of foreclosure ... but he only has 11 months to repay the loan.

$70k ain't a bad start ... only $1.43 million to go!

The cast of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" was evacuated from Adrienne Maloof's home moments ago -- shutting down production of the show -- after a neighboring house caught on fire.

But it wasn't just any house -- it used to belong to Lisa Vanderpump and was featured significantly in the first two seasons of the show.

We're told the damage to Lisa's old mansion is already "significant" -- and firefighters are currently on the scene, desperately trying to extinguish the blaze. No word yet on how the fire started.