May
A Texas businessman has bought an iconic Dallas mansion for $1.8 million as a birthday present for his 16-year-old daughter.
Dave Anderson decorated the 550-square-metre home with a huge pink bow and gift tag before driving his daughter Kevyn Brooke to the home on her birthday on Saturday. Kevyn had jokingly suggested to Mr Anderson that he buy the stately manor in the past, the Dallas Morning News reported. The musical instrument retailer then decided to surprise Kevyn by going through with the sale. "He had to tell her several times that it was her house," real estate agent Vicki White said. "She started screaming and crying — I did hear him say ‘I love you baby’ and she said the same thing." The landmark home Belle Nora was listed by its previous owner Jesus Guevara in 2004 with an asking price of US$4.4million (A$4.2 million). Even with its dramatic price cut, it is still the highest selling home in the East Dallas area for the past six years.
May
Benji Madden Gets Battle Round ‘Chills’
Benji Madden is a world-famous rock star. He’s played countless sell-out gigs to thousands of screaming fans and sold millions of albums with his band Good Charlotte. When it comes to the music industry, he’s pretty much seen it all. But he says, watching the Battle Round on The Voice had him on the edge of his seat. "There were those moments were you got chills," says Benji, who flew to Australia to be a mentor on his brother Joel’s team. Benji was touched by one contest in particular, saying: "I just didn’t think the guy had a chance against who he was battling, and he stepped up and made it undeniable that he was staying."
May
Blind dog has his own seeing eye dog
They say dogs are man’s best friend but this labrador and golden retreiver seem to have found soulmates in eachother. When Tanner, a golden retreiver, arrivied at Woodland West Animal Hospital in the US, vets feared there was not much they could do for him. Due to cataracts, he is blind in both eyes and suffers from a slight seizure disorder which cause him to lose control of his body. Vets suggested putting him down, but surprisingly Tanner’s condition changed when he met Blair, a street dog who was admitted to the center after he was shot. The pair have since struck up a friendship with Blair acting as Tanner’s seeing eye dog, leading him around the yard by a leash. Surprisingly, since meeting Blair, Tanner no longer suffers from seizures.
February
First home buyers to lead the way in 2012
First time buyers are expected to be the major players in the property market this year, according to a nationwide poll of mortgage brokers. The Loan Market poll of 252 of its brokers found that 36% of respondents expected first time buyers to dominate the housing finance market in 2012.Investors came in at a close second, with 33% of respondents picking out Australia’s property investors as this year’s expected dominant force, while refinancers came in third with 30%."Our brokers are divided on which consumer group will dominate in 2012, but the majority think first time buyers will be the most active," said Loan Market chief operating officer Dean Rushton.
November
Harry Kewell reportedly kicks off Brighton rental
Soccer champion Harry Kewell has reportedly taken a $3,250 a week newly built Brighton rental property as his Melbourne base. The Nicholas Day-designed property was briefly marketed by Hocking Stuart as the "finest fusion of style, space and quality", with a $3.3 million asking price. But the three-level house has been withdrawn and reportedly the Kewell family will move into the rental residence, according to The Sunday Age. It would reflect a 5% yield if the undisclosed, unconfirmed figures are correct. The Brighton suburb was identified as the location in an earlier Herald Sun report. Since his arrival last month to play for the Melbourne Victory, Kewell has been staying at Crown. The couple, Kewell and his wife, the soap star Sheree Murphy
