Fanned by the Los Angeles Times' very plugged-in Hot Property columnist and real estate reporter Lauren Beale, rumors have flared that President Obama and his family have bought a home in the California desert.
Beale's sources say Obama is in escrow on a 3-acre property in Rancho Mirage's Thunderbird Heights, an exclusive gated community once home to Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. It has a 20-foot waterfall with a lagoon, a putting green with a sandtrap, and more recreational opportunities.
The home had been listed for as much as $12.5 million over the past few years, but most recently landed at $4.25 million, and real estate agent Marc Lange suggested back in May that the seller would be willing to take $4 million. Lange and his colleague Carl Blea hold the listing at HOM Sotheby's International Realty.
Local real estate watchers speculated last month that the Obamas might be interested in the house. The local Desert Sun newspaper reported that the Obamas might be house-hunting in the area, and even offered some advice, with the Thunderbird Heights pad its top pick. Meanwhile, Variety's Mark David, aka the Real Estalker, said that if they were house-hunting in the desert, then "surely they had a look-see at the most expensive listing currently on the open market in Thunderbird Heights, a contemporary compound on a gated, 3.29 acre valley view lot with a $4.25 million price tag."
The Sun even asked the White House last week whether President Obama bought the property. (Its reporters had asked listing agent Blea about the sale a couple of weeks earlier, Blea "told the Desert Sun that he could not talk about the buyer's identity.") "The White House would neither confirm nor deny the statement," the Sun reported.
The Times' Beale reported that the White House flatly denied "rumors regarding a home in Rancho Mirage," but that multiple real estate agents in the area told her the Obamas were the buyers. The compound is indeed in escrow, according to the listing.
The main house has 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths and a "master retreat with gym, tanning and spa rooms" in 6,100 square feet, according to the listing. There's also a 2,000-square-foot "casita" -- perfect for the Secret Service, perhaps? -- with 3 bedrooms and 3 baths. The grounds' 3 acres also include a pool and two spas. Elevators ease travel at the compound.
Because the property is on a hilltop abutting a bighorn sheep preserve, it's exceptionally private and secure, the listing says.
The owner of the home is named William A. Robinson, property records show. Granted, that's a very common name, but we do know that reclusive millionaire William Armsted Robinson -- an early owner of DHL courier service -- has a home in Rancho Mirage. And the DHL millionaire's home certainly sounds like the one that the Obamas are reportedly buying: Court filings from a rather bizarre sexual-harassment suit against him contain details about William Armsted Robinson's Rancho Mirage home -- guest house, elevator, golf cart -- that match this Thunderbird Heights estate.
Coincidentally, the DHL millionaire was a big donor to Arnold Schwarzenegger's causes during the Republican's tenure as California governor.
据外媒7月22日报道，消息灵通的洛杉矶时报“房产热”专栏作家劳拉·比尔再曝消息，称美国总统奥巴马及家人在加利福尼亚州的沙漠里购置一栋别墅。
据比尔的消息源透露，奥巴马已将兰拉米乔市“雷鸟山庄”上的一处房产暂交第三方保管，该房产面积达三英亩（约1.2万平方米），位于一个独家封闭式 社区，名人弗兰克·辛纳屈，鲍比·霍普， 辛·克劳斯贝都曾在此居住。豪宅里有一处20英尺（约6米）长的小瀑布，一座人工湖，一个配有沙坑的小型高尔夫球场以及众多其它娱乐设施。
过去几年中，该豪宅市场标价高达1250万美元（约7749万人民币），但最近跌至425万美元（约2635万人民币）。房地产商马克·兰格暗示， 今年五月有卖家愿意以400万美元（约2480万人民币）成交。兰格及同事卡尔·比利在HOM苏富国际房产公司掌管上市待售房产清单。
当地房产商上月猜测，奥巴马或许对这幢房子有兴趣。据本地《沙漠太阳报》报道，奥巴马或曾在这片地区寻找房子，甚至提出一些开发建议，最后“雷鸟山 庄”成为其首选。同时，Variety公司，即Real Estalker公司的马克·大卫表示，如果他们曾在这片沙漠中物色房子，那“肯定会看一眼‘雷鸟庄园’市场上最贵的一处房产：一个现代风格的建筑群，享 有3.28英亩的山谷风光，标价425万美元。”
上周，《太阳报》向白宫询问奥巴马是否已购买这处房产，“白宫方面没有承认，也没有否定这一说法。”太阳报称。太阳报记者曾问过房产代理商比利前几周的销售情况，比利只对《沙漠太阳报》表示他不方便透露买家身份。
据《泰晤士报》记者比利报道，白宫坚决否认“关于兰卡米乔市房产的传言”，但该市数家房地产商都表示奥巴马一家就是房子的主人。据透露，这处房产目前的确被第三方保管。
豪宅的主建筑面积为6100平方英尺（约567平方米），有4个卧室，4个半卫浴间和一个“有健身房，日光浴房和spa室的休闲区”。还有一个 2000平方英尺的秘密小屋，配有3个卧室和3个卫浴间。3英亩的空地上还有一座游泳池和两座疗养池。建筑群的电梯使来往十分方便。
据房产商介绍，因为这处房产位于一处大角羊保护区旁小山顶上，所以特别隐蔽和安全。
房产交易记录显示，房子的主人名为威廉·A·罗宾逊。尽管这个名字很常见，但我们都知道DHL邮政前董事、隐居富豪威廉·埃姆斯·罗宾逊在兰拉米乔 市有房产。而且这位富豪的房子听起来很像是奥巴马传言中购买的房产。在一起奇怪的性骚扰诉讼中，法院文件的细节显示威廉·埃姆斯·罗宾逊在兰拉米乔市的房 子也有客房，电梯，高尔夫球场，这些特征都与“雷鸟庄园”的这处房产吻合。
巧合的是，在共和党人阿诺·施瓦辛格担任加利福尼亚州州长期间，这位前任DHL富豪曾提供巨额资助。