Matt Damon

Before he coughed up for the new iPad-controlled Solemates superyacht, Sean "Diddy" Combs cruised around in style on the RM Elegant (above) a striking 236-ft. craft with fluid lines built by Greece's Lamda Shipyard in 2005. Diddy isn't the only celeb to have partied aboard the aptly-named yacht, which offers luxe accommodation for up to 30 guests in 15 cabins along with 30 crew; her vast deck space includes a 12-person Jacuzzzi surrounded by an huge sunbathing and entertaining area, which played host to producer Jerry Weintraub's party for Ocean's 13 at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007 where the likes of George Clooney, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt made the scene onboard.

Now the yacht has been listed for sale with Edmiston at an undisclosed eight-figure price. Elegant's sun deck is accessed by a lift from all the guest decks and provides a double-sided bar as well as shower rooms. The yacht's gracious saloons offer quiet unassuming elegance with a grand piano in the main entrance and home entertainment facilities in the second reception room. The Master Suite occupies the full width of the Bridge Deck with a large private saloon and spa bath. Other onboard amenities include a business center, home theatre, fully equipped gymnasium, beauty salon, sauna and massage room. The twin 2,260 hp CATs are good for a cruising speed of 15 knots and a maximum speed of 18 knots.

[via JamesList]

Matt Damon has been involved in charity efforts for a long time (he is part of the Not On Our Watch project which focuses on bringing attention to mass atrocities like the situation in Darfur). His latest effort is Water.org which he co-founded with Gary White. Water.org is a nonprofit organization that has transformed hundreds of communities in Africa, South Asia, and Central America working with local partners to provide access to safe water and sanitation. Damon and his charity have developed attractive limited edition metal water bottles that are environmentally friendly and 100% of the profits go directly to support nearly a billion people in the world who lack clean water.

The CamelBak(R) Better Bottle has an integrated handle and hold 16 ounces. The double-wall insulated stainless bottle features vacuum insulation to keep beverages cool for hours. The bottles are made from medical-grade stainless steel, with no inner liners or plastic coatings. The design was a collaborative effort of Kyle Damon, his wife Lori, designer Elissa Traher of Traher Design, and artist, Jane Dixon. The steel bottle sells for $24.95 and 100% of the profits, about $10 go to fund the life-changing work of Water.org.

[via BSC Kids]

From Homes and Property UK:
--Singer Eddy Grant has listed Bayleys, his 15-bedroom Barbados plantation house for £19 million (around $35 million). The listing is here.
--Guinness heir Henry Channon has listed his nine-bedroom, Thameside home on Cheyne Walk, shown above, for £25 million. The listing is here.

From the NY Post:
--While in New York City, Jude Law is staying in a downtown penthouse at the Novare building on West Fourth Street. He is renting the three-bedroom 3,500-square-foot unit with 20-foot ceilings and a terrace for an undisclosed price. The apartment is also listed for sale at $7.8 million with Reid Price of Brown Harris Stevens. The listing is here.
--Matt Damon has been spotted in and around the Belnord rental building at West 86th Street and Broadway.
--A five-story Gramercy Park townhouse is back on the market for $12 million. It was listed at $18.5 million price three years ago. The listing is here.

From Shelter Pop:
--A look inside Speidi's (Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt) new love nest courtesy of the Real Estalker.
--Peer inside the loft of Emily Robison, of the Dixie Chicks.


From Cityfile's Buyers and Sellers:
--via Curbed, retired tech exec Lawrence Mueller and his wife Mary Kay have dropped the price of their three-bedroom condo at 15 Central Park West. It was listed at $16.5 million and is now at $15.5 million.
--via the NY Times, Steve Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs executive, founder of Dune Capital, and son of Bob Mnuchin, is looking to unload his duplex apartment at 740 Park. The five-bedroom spread is being shopped around with a $37.5 million asking price.
--via Curbed, the West Village townhouse that was once home to writer/urban activist Jane Jacobs has sold for $3.3 million after four months on the market.
--Whoopi Goldberg has gone into contract to sell her two-bedroom New York City loft.

--The triplex penthouse at 895 Park that belonged to the late movie producer and clothing entrepreneur Charles Evans has finally found a buyer. It was purchased for $15 million by Robert Weisz, the CEO of the commercial real estate company the RPW Group, and his wife Cristina.

--via the NY Observer, Brett Icahn, the son of billionaire Carl Icahn, had paid $2.9 million for a penthouse duplex at the Piano Factory building on West 46th Street.
--via the NY Observer, Italian mogul and former Formula One boss Flavio Briatore is renting out his four-bedroom apartment at the Plaza for around $65,000 per month. The apartment was up for sale for $38 million.

--Amalgamated Bank CEO Derrick Cephas and his wife Donna paid $4.425 million for a five-bedroom apartment at 610 West End Avenue.
--Martha Stewart's daughter Alexis Stewart has put her duplex loft at 27 North Moore Street back on the market again. She tried to sell the apartment for $12.4 million in both 2007 and 2008. It is now listed for $12.95 million.
--via the NY Observer, actor Daniel Radcliffe has paid $5.65 million for a five-bedroom New York City townhouse.

From Berg Properties Big Time Listings:
--"Soul Train" creator Don Cornelius has listed a two-bedroom, post-and-beam house in the Beverly Hills, Calif. postal area for $1.95 million. The listing is here. He also paid $1.475 million to purchase a 3,499-square-foot house on a flag-shaped lot in Los Angeles' Beverly Crest area.
--Author and comedian Steve Harvey has his 19-room mansion in Plano, Texas on the market for $3.5 million. The listing is here.


From Fanhouse:
--Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn has listed his home in Avon Lake, Ohio for $775,000. The listing is here.

From Rented Spaces:
--Short on rent? Here are the details on throwing a gold party.

From the LA Times Hot Properties:
--LAPD Chief Bratton and his wife Rikki Klieman have reduced the price of their Los Feliz home to $1.49 million.
--Dr. Richard Ellenbogen who has starred on 'Dr. 90210' has listed his Sunset Strip home for $3.495 million. The listing is here.
--Rocky Oaks Estate, a 37-acre Malibu estate, has come on the market for $65 million. The listing is here.

From SocketSite:
--Twitter co-founder Evan Williams has purchased a San Francisco home for $2.4 million.

From the Wall Street Journal's Private Properties:
--Gisele Bündchen has gone into contract on her penthouse in New York's West Village. The latest listing price of $4.5 million was less than half the original, September 2007 price tag of $10.9 million. She bought the condo in 2002 for nearly $3 million. Her townhouse is still on the market for $13.95 million.
--Eric Clapton is renting out his 45-acre Antigua estate for $50,000 a week.

From CNBC:
--America's most luxurious golf homes.

From Big Time Listings:
--Actor Brad Sherwood has re-listed his Encino home, shown above, for 3.595 million. It was listed last year for $4 million.
--Singer Lisa Loeb has paid $1.125 million for a four-bedroom, Cape Cod-style house in Los Angeles' Valley Village area.
--A six-bedroom mansion in the Beverly Hills Post Office area once owned by Ricky Martin is back on the market for $26.9 million. The listing is here.From the NY Post's Gimme Shelter:
--Actor Daniel Craig is renting a three-bedroom apartment in the Park Imperial building on West 56th Street for $38,000. This apartment was previously rented by racecar driver Jeff Gordon who rented it for $26,000 a month before moving into a condo he bought at 15 Central Park West.
--At the Waldorf Towers on East 50th Street a six-bedroom apartment is listed for $140,000 a month, the highest price for a rental in the city. The listing for the 33rd-floor unit, which was once the home of Cole Porter, is here.
--Ballroom dancer Karina Smirnoff has been staying at the Visionaire, a 36-story eco-friendly luxury condo building at 70 Little West Street in Battery Park City, and likes it so much she wants to buy.
--Matt Damon is the latest celebrity to check out the Apthorp building and may be looking to combine several apartments. The Apthorp must sell 25 units before September 15. If that doesn't happen the building will lose the chance to convert from rentals to condos. So far 22 contracts have been signed.

From Newsday's Real LI:
--An Oyster Bay Cove estate that once belonged to aviation pioneer James T. Pyle is on the market for $1.99 million. The listing is here.
--Football player Vinny Testaverde has dropped the price on his home in Oyster Bay Cove. It was first listed at $6.995 million and is now listed at $3.995 million.


From Cityfile's Buyers and Sellers:
--Don Trump Jr. and his wife Vanessa already bought an apartment on the 12th floor of The Sovereign on East 58th Street, for $1.125 million and they've now paid another $1.595 million for the apartment next door.
--via the NY Times, Douglas Lebda, the founder of LendingTree, has gone into contract to sell his penthouse at the Legacy on East 84th Street. He bought the home for $8.6 million in 2007 and is selling for close to the listing price of $7.5 million.
--via the NY Times, Peter Buffett, the son of Warren Buffett and a musician, and his wife Jennifer, are reportedly about to close on a three-bedroom condo and separate studio at One Madison Park.
--via the Real Deal, builder Greg Konner has increased the price of his Bridgehampton mansion. It was listed for $14.995 million and is now priced at $15.795 million. The listing is here.
--Mariann Florio, the widow of former Condé Nast CEO Steve Florio, has paid $1.65 million for a three-bedroom apartment at 235 East 73rd Street owned by former Bear Stearns exec Leo Tilman. Her Key Largo home remains on the market for $8.9 million.
--Richard Bressler, the former CFO of Viacom and now a managing director at the private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners, went into contract to sell his duplex at 850 Park last month and has bought a new place. Bressler paid $7.15 million for a four-bedroom condo at 170 East End Avenue.
--via the NY Post, Billy Joel is looking to sell two properties he bought for his wife Katie Lee Joel in Sagaponack. Now that they are splitting up he plans to list the properties for $35 million.
--via the Real Deal, fomer Bear Stearns chief operating officer Alvin Einbender has cut the price on his Charles Gwathmey-designed apartment in the Police Building at 240 Centre Street. It went on the market for $30 million in May 2008 and is now listed for $19.95 million.
--Developer and former investment banker Keith Jacobson has relisted his duplex at 173 Perry Street. He bought the property for $3.74 million in 2007 and put it up for sale in July 2008 for $11.5 million. He took the property, which was once owned by Vincent Gallo, off the market for a while but now it is back on the market.
--via the NY Observer, Johnson & Johnson heiress Jaime Johnson has paid $2.654 million for a two-bedroom loft at 285 Lafayette Street. The seller, Lucy Waletzky, is the daughter of Laurence Rockefeller and a great-granddaughter of John D. Rockefeller.
--via the NY Observer, Lyor Cohen, who runs Warner Music, has taken a loss on the UES co-op he owned with his ex-wife, Amy. In 2006, they paid $7.75 million a duplex at 8 East 96th Street. They sold to Google executive Julio Pekarovic and Maria Vasconcelos for $6 million.
--via the NY Observer, Susan Bloomberg, the ex-wife of Michael Bloomberg has put her 4,472-square-foot penthouse at One Kenmare Square in SoHo on the market for $11.5 million. The listing is here.
--Celebrity hairstylist Orlando Pita has sold his former co-op at 2 Fifth Avenue for $2.95 million to Razorfish co-founder Craig Kanarick and his wife, Rebecca Odes.


From The Real Estalker:
--Action star Jason Statham has picked up a home in Malibu for $10.95 million. His two-bedroom condo at the Broadway remains on the market.
--Bjork and Matthew Barney are reportedly buying a four-bedroom condo at 160 Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights that was listed recently for $4.25 million. They're also trying to sell their a one-bedroom co-op which went on the market in July for $1.7 million and Bjork has listed her home in Sneden's Landing for $1.8 million.


From the Wall Street Journal's Private Properties:
The Maryland estate of Eunice Kennedy Shriver has sold for $7.81 million which was 34% less than its original offering price last fall. It was listed at $11.8 million when we checked it out as an estate of the day.
--Former Lehman Brothers Chairman and Chief Executive Richard Fuld Jr. has sold his apartment on New York's Park Avenue for $25.87 million. Fuld and his wife, Kathleen, purchased the apartment for $21 million in January 2007. It was not officially on the market but had been quietly shopped for $32 million.
--Actress Tuesday Weld , whose Montauk home we looked at as an estate of the day recently, has sold her Manhattan apartment for $1.04 million.




Check out Lynda Carter's home on Shelter Pop.
Which states have the highest foreclosure rates? CNBC has the list.

From the Real Estalker:
--Leonardo DeCaprio is selling one of the three homes he owns in Malibu. He bought this home for $6.35 million last year and has listed it for $8.999 million. The property website is here.
--Christina Aguilera has cut the price on her West Hollywood home. It's our estate of the day later today.
--Actress CCH Pounder has put her Los Angeles home on the market. It was our estate of the day on Saturday.
--Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony have put their Bel-Air home on the market for $8.5 million. The listing is here.
--Rumor has it that Matt Damon and his family have been checking out $20 million apartments in New York City.
--Former fashion photographer Dewey Nicks and his wife Stephanie have put their Beverly Hills home on the market for $5.625 million. The property website is here.
--Director Paul Haggis has picked up a three-bedroom home in Santa Monica for $2.365 million.

From the LA Times Hot Property:
--A home that belonged to fashion designer Bob Mackie is from 1997 to 2005 is now back on the market at $2.5 million. The listing is here.
--Kinka Usher who makes commercials through his House of Usher production company (and also directed the movie "Mystery Men") is moving to the Pacific Palisades, where he just bought a newly constructed home for $3,.525 million.
--Monica Keena who Kristen, Eric's girlfriend on HBO's "Entourage" has bought a house in the Hollywood Hills for $1.05 million.
--Actress Cynthia Watros-Gilliland who played Libby, a psychologist, on "Lost," has sold her 1923 Hancock Park home for $5.2 million.
--Director Jonathan Turteltaub has sold his West Hollywood home for $3.2 million.


From the NY Post's Gimme Shelter:
--The Plaza's Astor Suite has gone back on the market with a new broker and a $17 million price cut. The 5,000-square-foot, fifth-floor unit, owned by European Esprit founder Juergen Friedrich is now for sale for $38 million. He bought last year for $27 million and briefly listed it for $55 million earlier this fall.
--Justin Timberlake picked up his loft condo at the Pearline Soap Factory in TriBeCa for $4.774 million.
--A gorgeous three-bedroom co-op on the seventh floor of the Dakota is listed at $14.5 million. The owners are securities trader Roy Welland - also the proprietor of restaurant Cru - and his wife, Christal Henner-Welland, the sister of actress Marilu Henner.
--Writer and director James Toback has listed his 15th-floor two-bedroom apartment in the Majestic for $3.75 million. The listing is here.
---Italian wine maker Marcello Zaccagnini, the e owner of Zaccagnini Winery, has purchased a condo at the Platinum building on West 46th Street and has has created an exclusive Platinum label for one of his best reserves, montepulciano d'Abruzzo. He's distributing 500 bottles to residents of Platinum as housewarming gifts. He bought a two-bedroom residence for more than $2.8 million on one of the new high-rise development's top floors.

From Berg Properties BIg Time Listings:
--Johnny Knoxville has sold his three-bedroom home in the Hollywood Hills for $1.816 million.
Zachary Quinto, who stars on TV's "Heroes" and in the upcoming Star Trek movie has paid $865,000 for a 1,505-square-foot house in Los Angeles' Los Feliz area.
--A BBC executive has sold a home in the Hollywood Hills which comedian Carol Leifer once owned for $2.05 million and the buyer may be a celebrity.
Public records show that comedian Norm Macdonald paid $1.75 million for his two-bedroom condominium unit in Santa Monica. --Basketball star Elton Brand has sold his Hollywood Hills home for $4.55 million and has paid $3.35 million to purchase a home Gladwyne, Pennsylvania.
-- Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman sold a two-bedroom condominium unit in Los Angeles' Encino area for $725,000.
--Public records show that country stars Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood paid the $4.95 million asking price for their home in Malibu purchased earlier this year.
--A look at the real estate dealings of "House M.D." actress Olivia Wilde and her filmmaker husband who own a loft in Venice, California.
--Real estate developer Robert Bisno has listed his home in the Beverly Park area of Beverly Hills for $29.5 million. The listing is here.
--Actor George Hamilton has paid $525,000 to purchase a condominium unit in West Palm Beach, Fla.
--Public records reveal that Teri Garr's home in Los Angeles' Brentwood area sold for $3,944,500.

From the Wall Street Journal's Private Properties:
--Former quarterback Michael Vick has cut the price of his luxury Atlanta home to $4.1 million, from $4.5 million. We'll check this out as our estate of the day on Monday.
--Nicolas Cage listed an apartment in midtown Manhattan for $9.75 million for about one week and then pulled it off the market.
--A Florida cattle and quail-hunting ranch, half-owned by a onetime top pick in the National Football League draft, has gone on the market for $50 million. We'll be looking at this one out on Tuesday.

From Newsday's Real LI:
----The Skidmore house, which is dated circa 1761 and is the oldest house in Northport, NY is listed for $449,000.
--A Cove Neck estate owned by Grammy-winning record producer Ric Wake was reclaimed by the bank at auction earlier this week in Nassau County Supreme Court. The "upset price" for the home had been set at $4.4 million. Wake had the home on the market for the past year, listed at $6.5 million.
--A townhome once owned by ESPN analyst and former New York Jet wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson is on the market for $1.199 million.

From Cityfile's Buyers and Sellers:
--David Smilow, the co-founder of TeleBank, which was sold in 2000 to E*Trade for more than $1 billion, has put his duplex penthouse at 140 Perry Street on the market for $19.5 million. The listing is here.
--via Curbed, Lenny Kravitz is still trying to sell his penthouse at 30 Crosby in Soho. It was most recently listed for $18.75 million but is now on the market for just $14.995 million. The listing is here.
Sundance Film Festival co-director Geoffrey Gilmore and film producer Julie le Brocquy have paid $2.475 million for a three-bedroom condo at 25 Central Park West.
--via Page Six, two months after buying a townhouse in Brooklyn, real estate maven Barbara Corcoran has reportedly purchased two more multiple-residence brownstones in the borough.

From the NY Observer's Manhattan Transfers:
--A penthouse at the Time Warner Center is now listed for $65 million. It was our estate of the day on Friday.
----11 Spring Street, which was listed at $39.8 million total for three units is now listed at $36.5 million. The Candle Building is a former carriage house and stable that can be left as three units or combined into one massive home. The listing is here.
--Karen Fleiss, a hedge fund manager and her husband, David, an Upper East Side orthopedic surgeon put their eight-bedroom duplex at 1030 Fifth Avenue on the market for $47.5 million in June since then it's gone down to $39.9 million in August and then to $34.5 million in October. Now Corcoran's Sharon Baum and Brown Harris Stevens' Fritzi Kallop listed the bottom floor alone for $15 million.
----Last year, Fortress Investment Group cofounder and COO Randal Nardone signed a $22 million contract for a glass-walled duplex at the new Tribeca condo 101 Warren Street. He finally closed earlier this month but in that year his stock has plummeted and he is no longer on the Forbes billionaires list.

This group of guys don't just sizzle on the screen together, they are putting their star-power towards a very deserving cause. As co-founders of Not On Our Watch (NOOW), a non-profit which focuses on bringing global attention and resources to stop and prevent mass atrocities, they recently gave $500,000 to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). In an effort to help stem hunger, the WFP uses helicopters to deliver support in manpower and food to the Sudan. These guys also donated $1 million to WFP in 2007. They make philanthropy look good -- really good.

[Thanks, Lana]