Rock stars, hall of famers and race car drivers: Who’s making real estate plays?

One of the best ways to monitor the state of local economies is to follow residential home sales. Given that providing coverage of local trends is The Business Journals' sweet spot, we take particular note when bold-faced names begin to shake up the residential real estate market. This most-recent month saw stories that involved people from across the business, entertainment and sports worlds. We spotted homes being bought, marketed and sold by people like hall of fame baseball player Mike Piazza,…Original Article

Rosie O’Donnell sells South Florida mansion for $5M (photos)

Actress, comedian and talk show host Rosie O’Donnell sold her waterfront mansion in West Palm Beach for $5 million to businessman H. Wayne Huizenga Jr. and wife Fonda M. Huizenga. He’s the son of billionaire H. Wayne Huizenga, who led companies such as AutoNation, Blockbuster, and Waste Management, and also owned the Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, and the Florida Marlins. Huizenga Jr. leads Huizenga Holdings and is the CEO of Rybovich Marina in West Palm Beach. The home totals 7,592 square…Original Article

Grammy-winning producer Timbaland spends millions on new Miami condo

Grammy-winning producer Timbaland has agreed to acquire two units in the new Aria on the Bay condominium in Miami. Developer Melo Group didn’t disclose the price. However, the units were listed for about $4 million, according to sources familiar with the deal. Timbaland, whose real name is Timothy Zachery Mosley, can close on the deal when the condo tower receives its temporary certificate of occupancy (TCO), which is expected by March. The two units will be combined into one space totaling 4,700…Original Article

Privé condo opens in South Florida with massive amenities (Photos)

The Privé at Island Estates condominium towers in Aventura have been completed, and they have some of the largest amenity spaces for a South Florida project of its size. Michael Neumann, director of sales for Privé at Island Estates, said the 150-unit project, at 5000 Island Blvd., has 35,000 square feet of indoor amenity space in each of the two towers, for a combined 70,000 square feet. That’s not including outdoor amenities such as two pools, poolside restaurant, dock, tennis court, summer…Original Article

Where women are buying homes

On average, single men are more likely to buy a home than single women, but women in some cities are bucking that trend, according to a report from SmartAsset. SmartAsset identified the metro areas where women are buying the most homes compared to men. In 402 cities, SmartAsset analyzed the number of mortgages used to purchase homes without a cosigner, breaking out the number of men and women who purchased a home on their own. Santa Fe, N.M., ranked No. 1 for women homebuyers. Women bought 6.7…Original Article

Penthouse in downtown St. Pete’s Vinoy sells for record-breaking price (Photos)

A penthouse unit in the Vinoy Place in downtown St. Petersburg has sold for $4 million, the highest price ever paid for a condominium within that property. Unit 1304 in Tower 4 sold for more than $750 per square foot in a deal that closed last week, the Gunn-Swainston Group of Premier Sotheby's International Realty St. Petersburg office said Wednesday. The list price was $4.5 million, or $840 per square foot. Vinoy Place was built in 2002. Within the penthouse's 5,300 square feet, there are…Original Article