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Former Ensign Staffers' Expensive House Is For Sale
As a fun follow-up to the potential link between the housing crisis and the John Ensign scandal, it turns out that the giant house bought by former Ensign Senate staffer Douglas Hampton and his wife (and former Ensign campaign staffer and reported former mistress) Cynthia Hampton is on the market.
The asking price is $1,660,000 -- though for what it's worth, the folks at Zillow.com think it might only really be worth $861,500. Real estate values have been all over the place lately, and Nevada itself has had the sharpest percentage declines in the nation.
Check out the photos and video. This place is really luxurious.
Late Update: Here's our TPM slideshow.
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Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
Wow. $850k is a bargain price for a home not far from the Hamptons.
June 17, 2009 2:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tee-Hee!
June 17, 2009 11:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Eric, some context, please.
I believe that link, the listing and the pictures dates from 2008, when the Hamptons were trying to sell their house (they lived in DC at the time).
I do not believe they are trying to sell that house anymore. (I do not think it is on the market anymore).
June 17, 2009 3:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Luxurious to whom? Tony Soprano?
That place is tacky.
June 17, 2009 3:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I also think luxurious is the wrong word. The place is gaudy and very cold and unwelcoming. Though the swimming pool is nice.
June 17, 2009 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Swimming pool? That looks like a puddle with a polo net.
June 17, 2009 4:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
As I click through the pictures, I keep expecting to see Tony, Carmela, Meadow, and Anthony.
June 17, 2009 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
That is one seriously ugly house. Tacky pretty much covers it. How someone with no taste imagines is how the wealthy live.
June 17, 2009 3:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
That is one seriously ugly house. Tacky pretty much covers it. How someone with no taste imagines is how the wealthy live.
June 17, 2009 3:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Mother ship has landed.
June 17, 2009 3:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Years ago a friend called it "whorehouse modern" (or maybe that should be moderne.) And he was talking about a house in Las Vegas.
June 17, 2009 4:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think this property needs to have the
Irvine Housing Blog treatment (http://www.irvinehousingblog.com/) to find out just what kind of shennanigans went on in the financing and purchasing of the house.
June 17, 2009 4:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
What a POS! All the rooms are awkward sizes and angles and tarted up to look 19th century French tacky. Whoever designed and decorated it must have had Tony Montana in mind.
June 17, 2009 4:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
This house is so Vegas!
June 17, 2009 4:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
The office is nice.
June 17, 2009 5:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Depends on your definition of 'luxurious.'
In my eyes, any such McMainsion is an undesirable POS.
June 17, 2009 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
lol I posted before I read the comments. Glad to see that many agree.
Also, that should be "McMansion," of course.
June 17, 2009 5:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
How long until some anonymous buyer pays above market?
June 17, 2009 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does the sudden notoriety of the owners increase the "kitsch" value?
June 17, 2009 7:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow, is there a design element or architectural style they didn't use? Spanish + neoclassical + Louis the whatever + mid-century modern Hugh Hefner grotto + whatever that box ceiling thing is supposed to be + Italianish kitsch with trompe l'oeil + modern hotel room. Sheesh.
June 17, 2009 7:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, at least it's big.
I wonder if it has enough parking?
June 17, 2009 7:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
I particularly like the $10/ea plastic Adirondack chairs poolside. No expense spared!
June 17, 2009 8:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, the cheap chairs look kind of strange there.
June 17, 2009 9:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Money is wasted on some people. It looks like they sunk all their money into the purchase of the house and had nothing left over to buy some taste.
June 17, 2009 8:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
There is no way the Hamptons could afford this home on their salaries, even with the son getting some of the action. Where did they get the money. I am sure we will find out as the investigation broaden. There is a lot more to this story.
June 17, 2009 8:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Who is paying the mortgage on this home. They certainly don't make enough to pay the monthy PMI. This one will be the next on the foreclosure list.
June 17, 2009 8:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lets see who will go to jail in this saga.
June 17, 2009 9:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Looks like a giant spec house with sparse Vegas style furnishings. Typically, it is harder to sell a vacant home than a furnished one, but in this case, the furnishings reek "new" money and works against them. The Las Vegas market is in the tank. I see bank ownership in this houses future.
June 17, 2009 9:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
I call this style "Louis XII through XVI inclusive."
Get a load of the kitchen cabinets. Whooeee!
And by the way, even Zillow estimates have seemed unrealistically inflated lately. And that goes double for Las Vegas.
June 18, 2009 1:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
So, do you remember how the John Edwards story took up headline space in the msm for weeks? Why is this story not getting the same sort of ridiculous media attention? I thought it was idiotic that the Edwards story was treated as significant news--after all a politician being a sleaseball is essentially a "dog bites man" story--but if you're going to fixate on the morality of one politician, you really should treat them all to the same scrutiny. Kind of surprising lack of interest on the part of the msm, as this is just the sordid sort of titillating soap opera garbage they usually love--at least when a Dem is involved.
June 18, 2009 11:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Clearly the msm doesn't want to lessen GOP chances in 2010/12. Bleak as they are. They know they'll be well rewarded if a turnaround happens.
June 18, 2009 12:03 PM | Reply | Permalink