As many have reported up to now, singer/famous ex-husband Nick Lachey and MTV veejay Vanessa Minnillo have moved in together in the new Atelier building, at 635 W. 42nd Street in Mid-Town Manhattan.
What's less clear to us, however--and the myriad gossip reports, many of which emanated from an initial report in People magazine--is whether the couple actually purchased their new two-bedroom condo in the 46-story building, or whether they're renting.
Everyone agrees that Lachey and Minnillo moved in last week--during a rain storm--to the Atelier, which is so far west that people like to quip that it's practically in New Jersey. But what no one seems to know yet is, did Lachey (or Minnillo) actually pony up some cash to buy a unit in the building, or are they renting--possibly at a discounted rate--to help the building's marketing-savvy and celebrity-conscious sales department sell more units. Skeptical? See a previous Real Estalker post for more details. In any case, we have been scouring city records and have yet to find any evidence of a Lachey or Minnillo purchase yet having taken place at the Atelier. If we find one, we'll let you know.
In the meantime, ponder why it is that most every other celebrity "move" takes place in secrecy--we never know when the moves happen, and we never actually see the bold-faced figures actually doing the moving themselves. How was it that People and TMZ.com actually heard about the Lachey/Minnillo move? Answer: the Atelier's marketers most likely tipped off the gossip media themselves. We have a strange feeling that new Atelier residents won't be seeing much of Nick and Vanessa.
As for Nick's "other" home, he lives in Seal and Heidi Klum's old house at 1892 Linda Flora Drive in Los Angeles' Bel-Air neighborhood. In late 2004, Seal and Heidi paid $4,320,000 through their Linda Flora Trust to purchase the four-bedroom, 4,722-square-foot house, which was built in 1960, according to public records. They then sold it to Nick's LSN Revocable Trust in February 2006 for an even $5 million, shortly after his marriage to Jessica Simpson fell apart. Check out photos and a listing sheet for Nick's Bel-Air house here.
By the way, where did Seal and Heidi Klum go? They reportedly wanted a more family-friendly house, and they found one--quietly paying $7.6 million in late 2005 for a six-bedroom, 6,794-square-foot house on 2.485 acres at 1502 San Ysidro Drive, north of Beverly Hills, according to public records. Check out the listing sheet for that house here.