Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Obama Mansion
The Boston Globe ^ | March 16, 2008 | Binyamin Appelbaum

Posted on 10/17/2008 8:45:58 AM PDT by Brown Deer

CHICAGO - The large brick house Barack and Michelle Obama bought in June 2005 sits in a neighborhood of historic mansions.

Its 6,400 square feet included six bedrooms, six bathrooms, and a wine cellar for 600 bottles. It had been renovated five years earlier in high style: antique Chinese washbasins, mahogany bookshelves, a granite kitchen floor.

It was a fitting home for a new senator. And it was a good deal. The list price was $1.95 million, but the Obamas paid $1.65 million, the same price the sellers had paid five years before.

Obama called Rezko for advice. The men toured the property, and on the day the Obamas bought the house, Rezko's wife Rita bought the side yard. The Obamas negotiated a discount of $300,000. Rita Rezko paid full price.

Barack and Michele Obama bought this 6,400-square-foot, six-bedroom, six-bathroom house in the Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago in June 2005 for less than the asking price. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2008; 2008election; barrackobama; chicago; corruption; obama; obamacorruption; obamatruthfile; obambi; obamessiah; rezko
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-35 next last
Obomba's Mansion
1 posted on 10/17/2008 8:45:58 AM PDT by Brown Deer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Brown Deer

Move along folks, nothing to see here.

Hey, this is Chicago.


2 posted on 10/17/2008 8:51:36 AM PDT by SkyShot (My keboard's Y is dodgy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SkyShot
Wonder if Louie provides security for the neighborhood?
3 posted on 10/17/2008 8:55:14 AM PDT by scooby321 (Cai)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Brown Deer

When you look at how the Obamas were allowed to slice off such a chunk of the vacant Rezko lot, that is a crazy transaction (except from the standpoint of the Rezkos benefitting their friend the Obamessiah). The vacant lot becomes far less desireable once it has been narrowed so much.....


4 posted on 10/17/2008 8:58:33 AM PDT by Enchante (America: has Obama told you about his "New Party" that sought to spread SOCIALISM??)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brown Deer
Photobucket
5 posted on 10/17/2008 9:02:00 AM PDT by littlehouse36 (The acorn never falls far from the tree.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brown Deer
the person who had renovated the house six years earlier was also the person who had an option on the lot, and that person had worked for Rezko, and so he knew him and was an active developer.
6 posted on 10/17/2008 9:02:41 AM PDT by stylin19a ( Real Men don't declare unplayable lies)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brown Deer

It looks like someone did well under the Bush Economy.


7 posted on 10/17/2008 9:04:10 AM PDT by Flathead Catfisherman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brown Deer

They probably will not live in this house again if Obama gets elected President—the Secret Service security issues may make it not viable for this purpose. He’ll probably have to live in a highly-protected mansion with a lot of buffer space (e.g., live fairly far out from Chicago) or a house out in the country like President Bush does or the late President Reagan had. (In short, he’ll probably end up asking one Oprah Winfrey for such a place.)


8 posted on 10/17/2008 9:05:37 AM PDT by RayChuang88
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brown Deer
The list price was $1.95 million, but the Obamas paid $1.65 million, the same price the sellers had paid five years before.

At a time when home prices were soaring, the seller gave the gain to Obama. What will Obama owe the seller in return?

9 posted on 10/17/2008 9:12:29 AM PDT by fso301
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: littlehouse36

Obama is one of the creepiest looking people I have ever seen.


10 posted on 10/17/2008 9:14:11 AM PDT by livius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Brown Deer
Its 6,400 square feet included six bedrooms, six bathrooms, and a wine cellar for 600 bottles.

Isn't Barack's carbon footprint a little larger than it needs to be? Shame on him.

11 posted on 10/17/2008 9:26:45 AM PDT by BigBobber
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fso301
What will Obama owe the seller in return?

A pardon (Rezko).

12 posted on 10/17/2008 9:27:21 AM PDT by DallasDeb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: fso301

Did you read the article? It says the seller accepted the Obamas’ offer because they agreed to a six month escrow. It’s also not uncommon to buy a house for less than the asking price.


13 posted on 10/17/2008 9:37:01 AM PDT by Crystal Cove
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: DallasDeb

ping


14 posted on 10/17/2008 9:38:14 AM PDT by bonnieblue4me (You can put lipstick on a donkey (or a dimrat), but it is still an ass!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Enchante

Did you read the article? It says that Rita Rezko sold the remainder of the lot for a 9% profit, and the new owner has listed it for $995,000, which is quite a profit since the original entire lot was sold for $625,000. The new owner judges the vacant lot to be much more desirable because it is next door to the Obamas.


15 posted on 10/17/2008 9:39:23 AM PDT by Crystal Cove
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Crystal Cove
The new owner judges the vacant lot to be much more desirable because it is next door to the Obamas.

Because living next door to a politician is good economics? Or because it's an easy way to funnel shady cash to a politician? Or maybe I'll buy the lot and then offer to sell it to Obama for a buck as long as he...gosh, I don't know. There are a lot of options for someone who has done a politician a "favor".

You cannot be this naive.

16 posted on 10/17/2008 10:00:21 AM PDT by Dianna
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Dianna

DU Trolls usually come across as naive, not to mention brain-dead and morally bankrupt.


17 posted on 10/17/2008 10:04:42 AM PDT by motoman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Crystal Cove

Yeah, but who would pay almost a million dollars for such a narrow lot? What kind of skinny house would fit on it?


18 posted on 10/17/2008 10:05:42 AM PDT by EnquiringMind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Dianna
An independent appraisal completed in November 2005 judged the entire parcel was worth about $500,000 - $125,000 less than Rita Rezko paid for it. The Obamas wanted to buy about a sixth of the land to create a yard along the side of the house. The appraisal judged the strip was worth only $40,500 because it wasn't buildable. In January 2006, the Obamas cautiously paid $104,500, a proportionate share of what Rezko had paid.

All of this because the original sellers wanted a buyer very quickly, but not actually one who could move in quickly. I'd investigate all of the people involved and see what Obama has done for them: the original seller of the house, the current owner of the lot and whoever ends up buying the worthless property.

19 posted on 10/17/2008 10:10:07 AM PDT by Dianna
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Crystal Cove
It’s also not uncommon to buy a house for less than the asking price.

Not in 2005 it wasn't, noob.

20 posted on 10/17/2008 10:11:03 AM PDT by subterfuge (BUILD MORE NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS NOW!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-35 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson