The world's most accomplished Ponzi schemer -- right up until he got caught, that is -- finally lost his beach home. Bernie Madoff's Montauk house moved for $9.41 million, according to the U.S. Marshals Service, more than the $8.75 million for which it was listed. It sold on Friday, and the buyer is not being named. It only took a month to make the transaction happen.

Joseph Guccione, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of New York, calls this "another step forward for the government," and though he didn't mention anything about the victims, one assumes that it's progress for them, too. After all, it would be nice if they got even a taste of this cash.

Several bidders tried to get their hands on Madoff's former home, which measures 3,000 square feet and has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The losers can have another shot at Madoff glory, though, as properties in New York and Palm Beach, Florida, are listed. The former is on the market for $9.9 million, and the latter is listed for $8.49 million.

Madoff was unable to take a last walk through the halls of the Long Island residence, of course, because he's otherwise detained committed in Butner, North Carolina. But, he's adapting, having already thrown down on the block and earned himself some props.

Exotic supercars are the antithesis of affordable. That's part of their allure. After all, if we could all afford them, they wouldn't be all that exotic, now would they? That hasn't stopped several companies from trying to make driving them an accessible venture, however. Unfortunately in the current economic climate, membership-based supercar clubs have been closing faster than your favorite bar after last call. A new company has sprung up, however, with a different approach. North Carolina-based Supercar Sensation boasts a staggering collection of supercars – including Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, Aston Martins and more – all available for the paying customer to drive. Open-road and track sessions are organized regularly, starting at $199. There are no membership fees to pay, no maintenance bills to foot. Just show up with cash or card in hand and they'll take care of the rest...except for the driving. Check out the Supercar Sensation website for all the information.

What happens when an executive gets a transfer and can't sell their house? In some cases, no need to worry, your company will buy your slow seller. Bloomberg tells the story of Barbara Desoer, who put her house in Charlotte, North Carolina, on the market in August for $1.675 million when she was named head of Bank of America Corp.'s real-estate unit, Countrywide Financial Corp., in Calabasas, California. She and her husband had bought the home in 2000 for $1.15 million. It sold in December, to Bank of America which has put the home up for sale for $1.295 million. A proxy statement reveals that Bank of America will cover costs associated with the sale of the Desoers' house, plus $1.5 million for costs on their new home in California and another $1.1 million for tax-related costs.
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The home is in one of Charlotte's priciest neighborhoods where the inventory of million-dollar homes on the market is very high. It would take years to sell just what is available now reports a local real estate agent. In Charlotte, which is home to Bank of America, home sales have been falling since June 2007. Wells Fargo & Co.'s purchase of Charlotte-based Wachovia, could mean more job cuts and more homes on the market.

Today's home is one of the luxury lodges in the Eagle's Nest enclave in Banner Elk, North Carolina. Why Eagle's Nest? A peek at the view gives an indication as to the name. This lodge home is part of a 1350-acre luxury camp perched in the Blue Ridge Mountains with stellar views. The community was envisioned as a luxury camp offering outdoor sports, an equestrian center, art studio, library and more for grown-up campers with money to spend.

Today's home is Lodge 24, a five-bedroom wood and stone retreat with exposed beams, a floor-to-ceiling fireplace and colored glass chandelier in the great room and a barrel-shaped wine cellar. The home has two master suites, two guest bedrooms, a gym, media room, and a gourmet kitchen which features a sexy river-like sink set into the wood counter. There are five fireplaces and multiple decks offering sweeping mountain views. This home is listed at $5.3 million.

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Asheville, North Carolina isn't the place I would expect to find $2 million condos but a local developer is hoping that they can find ten green-minded buyers to make the 73 North Street project a reality. The project is built on a small lot and includes a photovoltaic array on the roof and a garage that will only fit Smart cars (a Smart car comes with each unit).

The first floor of the building will have a small commercial space and the second will include an exercise room and spa and a guest room for visitors of building residents. The building's roof would be home to a lounge and garden. The building is planning for LEED certification and will include green features such as a water collection system, water-conserving fixtures, high-efficiency appliances and automated lighting and shading systems.

The building's units will sell for $2.1 million to $2.6 million and each would be about 2,300 square feet and take up an entire floor. According to an article in the Citizen-Times, the project won't go forward unless six of the units are sold in advance. Right now you can buy a large house with an acre or two of land for about that price in the Asheville area so the developers have an uphill climb ahead of them.

Another historic home is up for auction. Pembroke Hall in Edenton, North Carolina was built in 1850 and is one the National Register of Historic Places. The home has 17 rooms, eight Italian marble fireplaces and a wine cellar. It is located on a two acre plot overlooking Pembroke Creek and Edenton Bay. The Greek Revival home has Corinthian and Doric columns with two-story porticos, murals and a hand painted antique wallcovering from China. The property has a current tax value of $2,002,030 was previously priced at $2.9 million but has been priced as low as $1.4 million. Recently, according to an article in The Virginian-Pilot, another historic 1850 house across the street from Pembroke Hall sold for $1.6 million. The opening bid in the online auction is $100,000 and the auction ends on January 9.

American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino has become the latest to join our celebrity foreclosure club. A home in Charlotte, North Carolina owned by the singer will be auctioned to pay back a loan that was used to pay her taxes. Broward Energy Partners paid more than $68,000 of her taxes in 2006 and says they have not been fully compensated. The earnings from the sale would be used to finish paying off the loan. The Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office will auction off the home on January 12 unless she pays her debts. She has another home in the area that is said to be valued at $740,000.

If you need a quick dose of the Christmas spirit, a tour of the Biltmore, the largest privately owned home in the U.S in Asheville, North Carolina might help. The estate and grounds include more than 100 decorated trees, 1,000 wreaths and bows, 1,800 poinsettias and thousands of ornaments and lights. It's pretty hard to hold onto your humbuggery amidst the elegant spectacle of this grand estate wreathed in holiday magic.

Individual rooms are decorated according to a theme that changes each year, this year it's "Christmas Traditions from Around the World," which turns each room into a microcosm of Christmas traditions in a country. The estate also hosts "Christmas Candlelight Evenings" which feature entertainment by carolers, ballet dancers and puppeteers. Free seminars for daytime guests through Nov. 23, offer instruction on subjects such as decorating your home and tree, making a gingerbread house, pairing wine and cheese, and crafting a wreath or centerpiece. Admission for adults starts at $55.

[via USA Today]

The latest condo auction opportunity takes us to Charlotte, North Carolina. The Abbot is auctioning off 14 brand new condos starting with a minimum bid of $269,000 for condos valued around $500.000. The tri-level condos are located in Charlotte's South End. Each condo has a loft-style interior with the ground floor offering a live or work space with its own ½ bath, the second floor offers the main living quarters while the third floor has two bedrooms each with a full bath. Amenities include outdoor balconies, walk-in closets and modern kitchens. The majority of the auctions are sealed bid ending on October 30 but there is one furnished unit selling by online auction with a minimum bid of $329,000.

Today's estate was brought to my attention by Luxist reader Kelly who was curious about this huge estate in the small town of Rougemont, North Carolina. She reports that she has flown over and driven by this huge property and was curious about it. Me too! Especially after I did some digging and saw it in a gallery of the hottest homes in North Carolina compiled by Businessweek last year. The curious thing it that the approximately 15,000 square foot home on over 200 acres was listed at $7.763 million. Flash forward to now and it's listed at $15.5 million making it one of the pricier homes in the state and far outpacing anything else in Rougemont. A year ago it was still under construction but is now freshly completed. It has an impressive long entry that takes you past ponds and over a stone bridge before reaching the home's circular driveway and large fountain at the top of the hill. There are five bedrooms and five baths with four additional half baths. The property includes a pool which is flanked by a huge pool house and what looks to be an open pavilion for entertaining. The pictures on this one don't give a lot of clue as to what's inside but the few shots we do have reveal the beige luxury that seems pretty typical of other new large homes that we've seen lately. If anyone has any info on this home please feel free to add it in the comments.

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The Real Estalker Mama already ably skewered this one but let's take a look at the pictures for the home owned by Nascar driver Denny Hamlin. Hamin, a young driver on the circuit, has a rather large bachelor pad on Lake Norman in Cornelius, North Carolina. Hamlin bought the five-bedroom mansion in 2006 for $3.4 million and is said to have spent another $1 million decorating it to its current gaudy standard. The home includes lots of single guy-friendly features like a large home gym , bar area, and a dramatic red and black billiards room as well as huge plasma televisions mounted improbably high above fireplaces. It is clear that a lot of money was spent here on touches like the shiny golden home theater room, gourmet kitchen with adjoining domed breakfast room and the master bed and bath which looks a bit like a suite at the Bellagio. The property includes a pool/spa area, outdoor fireplace, basketball court, boat house and a long dock with a boat lift. This home is listed at $4.9 million.

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It's a strange phenomenon but the more big airlines that shut their doors, the more smaller private jet services seem to open up. The latest is Deluge Air (an odd name, in my opinion). Deluge Air plans to offer flights from Wilmington, North Carolina to northern New Jersey, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Nassau, Bahamas. They plan to begin booking flights Aug. 4 on two seven-seat Learjet 35 aircraft, with flights taking off about a week later.The airline will operate out of ISO Aero Service, one of two fixed-base operators, or FBOs, on the grounds of Wilmington International Airport. The service is on deman, customers will pay for private jet service by individual seat instead of booking the entire aircraft and the flights will be operated by private jet companies out of Raleigh and Miami, with Deluge as the sales agent.

According to an article in the Star News Online, fares between Wilmington and Nassau booked seven days or more in advance will be $2,047 each way, with an additional $400 charge for flights booked less than a week in advance. Fares to Teterboro Airport will be $1,075 each way, and $1,398 when not booked at least seven days in advance.

Beach house season is upon us and Figure Eight Island is one lovely place to spend your summer. The private island in North Carolina has around 450 homes and is reached by a guarded causeway bridge.Today's home on the island is a new build. It has a reverse floor plan with the main living level on top floor. The home has four bedrooms including a large master suite that includes a steam shower in the master bath. The home has large porches and decks and is built for entertaining with a chef's kitchen, wine cellar, family room with a wet bar and an elevator to all three levels. This home is listed at $4.595 million.

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What else would you find on castle ridge road but a castle? This castle is located in Tuckasgee, North Carolina is a four-bedroom palace tucked in to the Smoky Mountains. The home has a great hall, chef's kitchen with butler's pantry, wine cellar, art studio, pub/movie room, office and a hidden, secret room. The four bedrooms are each suites with fireplaces, separate sitting areas, large bathrooms. and balconies. The home is on eight acres which includes English-style gardens and multiple outbuildings. Vintage style details include the turret tower, spiral staircase, handpainted murals, stained glass, vintage pine floors and a 400-year-old Normandy mantel. There is also an additional 43 acres with a horse barn and tack room available. One man's castle might be another man's white elephant but it's right for a knight. This home is listed at $4 million.

Today's house in Marshall, North Carolina is tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. The house can be bought with 215 acres or just five acres but either way you get a rare amount of privacy since the home is surrounded by 157 acres that will remain in permanent conservation easement. The home is 6,400 square feet of living space with a cedar and stone exterior and a lodge-style interior that includes a beautiful great hall with 100-year-old stained glass windows. The home has radiant floor heat, three fireplaces, a magnificent solarium with skylights, private library, and billiards room. The finished basement is home to a climate-controlled wine cellar. Outside, the home includes a hot tub, covered porch and stone terrace. The library has green faux leather walls and built-in shelves and the billiards room on the mezzanine floor has a circular window. The master bedroom has a stone fireplace, walnut floors and a private balcony. The master bath is a bit heavy with its cherry woodwork. There are four additional bedrooms. Other structures on the grounds include a gated greenhouse, tennis court, barn and a 900-square-foot log cabin guest cottage. The home is listed at $3,500,000 with 215 acres or $2,250,000 with five acres.