MJ with Bubbles and a llama at Neverland in his heyday.
The ranch FKA, Neverland, once owned by Michael Jackson is on the market for $100 million. The Los Olivos, California property is about 40 miles from Santa Barbara, and is now called Sycamore Valley Ranch. The amusement park rides are gone, as is the private zoo with orangutans and elephant, although there still is a lone llama on the property. The clock made of flowers, which spells out Neverland, is still there, and so is the building for the “Neverland Valley Fire Department“, although it’s no longer staffed with firemen, as it was in MJ’s 15 years here, but the railroad tracks and train station remain. The property is 2,700 acres and has 22 structures on it; the 12,000 square foot main house (which is not that great) and sits between the property’s two lakes, has six bedrooms plus an staff quarters. There are two guest houses, one four-bedroom and another two-bedroom one, plus a swimming pool with a cabana, basketball court and a tennis court and a 50-seat movie theater with a stage with trap doors for those magic shows.
Jackson paid nearly $20 million for the ranch in 1987 but mid financial struggles, he defaulted on a $24.5 million loan backed by the ranch and a real-estate investment firm bought the note in 2008 for $23 million and put the title into a joint venture it formed with the pop star. Colony spent millions on upgrades, intending to eventually sell it. The listing agents warn they’ll be doing “extensive prequalification” of potential buyers before showing the property, so don’t get any ideas about touring the joint, unless you’ve got millions…
“Our seller is not encouraging a lot of showings. We’re not going to be giving tours.”
Seems kind of too bad Michael didn’t keep the whole place intact. The investors could have easily made it into a Graceland style attraction. My friend Casey leaves nearby, and this was her and her neighbor’s biggest fear; endless hordes of Michael Jackson fans – FOREVER.
(via The Wall Street Journal)
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