Friday, August 23, 2013

In Case You Haven't Heard: Celine Dion

SELLERS: Céline Dion and René Angélil
LOCATION: Jupiter Island, FL
PRICE: $72,000,000
SIZE: Gigantic

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: In case any of the celebrity real estate obsessed children haven't yet heard, Canadian songstress Céline Dion and her significantly older husband/manager René Angélil have hoisted their epic, village-like ocean front compound in Jupiter Island, FL on the open market with a publicity ensuring $72,000,000 price tag.

The fully fenced, electronically gated, and heavily fortified 5.7 acre spread eats up more than 400 feet of beach frontage and encompasses half a dozen Bahamian-inspired style structures including a mammoth mansion that spans about 17,000 square feet, including the basement. The main floor living and entertaining spaces include a formal living room with vaulted ceiling, a media room, and an over-sized butler's kitchen. The gigantic open concept family living and dining area has a "formal" dining area, an all-white and expensively appointed kitchen with long snack counter, a built-in breakfast banquette, and a lounge area where the fireplace is surmounted by a large flat screen t.v. and flanked by angled windows and sliding glass doors that have sweeping views over the manicured lawns to the rough and tumble surf.

There's at least one dedicated guest suite on the main floor (above) that's all decked out and did up in chocolate brown that includes a private bathroom, a walk-in closet, and direct access to a screened porch.

There are two en-suite children's bedrooms and a children's den on the second level as well as a massive master suite. Miz Dion and Mister Angélil's innermost chamber has a ceiling mounted t.v. that tilts out of the ceiling for optimal viewing angle. Multiple sliding glass doors open to a private sea view terrace. There are two additional private decks off the master suite, one with fireplace the other with a hot tub. The glitzy master bathroom is worked over in a high-glam manner with mirrored vanity, free-standing soaking tub and a glassed-in steam shower. In addition to the master suite's lavish dressing room that's done up like a swanky boutique—notice the sunglasses display case on the back wall—Mister and Missus Dion-Angélil also have a gargantuan walk-in closet custom fitted with automated clothing racks and shoe carousels.

Additional structures, most of which orbit around the water park-like swimming pool, include a two four bedroom guest houses, a tennis house with simulated golf range, a pool house with built-in grill and full kitchen, and a beach side cottage with sleeping loft and massage room as well as additional staff quarters and parking facilities.

The property has not one and not two but three swimming pools, one on the ocean side of the main house and the other two on the road side of the main house that are connected by a lazy river feature. There are water slides and fountains, a gazebo, suntanning shelves, and a fire pit seating area that extends into the geothermal heated pool that's equipped with fiber optic lighting and looks to Your Mama to be about as big as a small pond. The pool is so large that it caused a big brouhaha in the affluent Jupiter Island community and, in fact, in 2010 the town's code enforcement officer who approved the 500,000 gallon body of water was relieved of his his six figure position.

The French Canadian couple want to sell their Jupiter Island compound as they plan to spend more time in Las Vegas where Miz Dion has extended her exceedingly lucrative contract at Caesar's Palace through 2019. Presumably Miz Dion (and her entourage) have exclusive access to a luxury suite at the hotel but home for the Dion-Angélils in Las Vegas is a multi-residence compound that sprawls across three contiguous parcels in an small gated enclave in a gated swanky development that borders Lake Las Vegas in nearby Henderson, NV.

Last May (2012) the May-December couple listed their opulent, custom-constructed 24,000 square foot chateau on a private island on the outskirts of Montreal for almost $30,000,000. The 19-ish acre estate remains available on the open market with an oddly complicated asking price of 29,655,500 Canadian dollars, a price that includes most of the mansion's furnishings and day-core minus the Dion-Angélil's personal effects.

listing photos: Sotheby's International Realty