R. Kelly had stopped making payments on the home for a year when JP Morgan sued him for $2.9 million. Kelly’s camp claimed that the singer stopped paying on purpose in order to get a loan modification; at that point the home was worth much less than when Kelly bought it in 1999, when it was valued at $5.2 million.
More: How to Buy Foreclosed and Bank-Owned Homes
Kelly listed the home as a short sale in October 2011 for $1,595,000, and tried dropping the price to $995,000 in January 2013, but couldn’t find a buyer. JP Morgan was the sole bidder on the property at the foreclosure auction this March.
Listing photos indicate that some parts of the home have fallen into disrepair, including the basketball court, which now has weeds growing through it. Some evidence of Kelly’s ownership remains, including a room with a Chicago Bulls logo painted on the floor. Kelly is a huge fan of the Bulls, especially after his mega-hit “I Believe I Can Fly” was featured in “Space Jam” starring Michael Jordan.
The other home that Kelly owned in Chicago — where the video that got him into legal trouble was filmed — sold for a million dollars in 2008. The buyer completely rehabbed it and sold it in 2011 for $2,640,618.
What do you think of the home JP Morgan is trying to sell? Would you buy it? Or are you trying to buy a foreclosed or bank-owned home yourself? Tell us in the comments!
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