Commercial Real Estate in Memphis and our Galaxy

I saw this story mentioned on The Movable Buffet, a Las Vegas blog.

Sing Like the King, the world’s first and only training video for Elvis impersonators, is scheduled for DVD release on August 16th, 2006, the 29th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s untimely death.

If you want your own copy, here where you need to go: www.almostelvis.com. According to Amazon, here are some of the features of the DVD:

Finally the definitive training tool for Elvis impersonators! When you order this DVD, its like enrolling in Elvis university. Read more »

Even though the Zippin Pippin was sold a few weeks ago at the big Libertyland auction, you’ll probably get one more chance to ride it. This from The Commercial Appeal:

The park has been shut down and the roller coaster sold at auction. But the Pippin may be cranked up during this year’s Mid-South Fair, Sept. 21-Oct. 1.

“It’s been discussed,” said fair general manager Billy Orr. “There is a possibility, if it’s safe. … That’s all going to depend on inspections by professionals.”

I ran across this article in the New York Times archives, thanks to Google Alerts.

It is not uncommon for tourists to show up at Annette Neal's apartment at a public housing project here and ask to look inside. Dutifully, she walks them through her ant- and roach-infested kitchen, past an oven that does not work, and then down a dark, damp hallway to what remains of a bedroom.

"Elvis slept here," Ms. Neal said. "This was his bedroom when he was a teen-ager." Read more »

Guess which leader of the free world is a fan of Elvis? Prime Minister Koizumi! He’s coming to the US in June to visit the King. From The Commercial Appeal:

President Bush may act as a Graceland guide to Japanese Prime Minister and self-described Elvis “maniac” Junichiro Koizumi later this month when the two jet in to Memphis on Air Force One, according to Japanese press accounts.

According to Graceland spokesman Kevin Kern, who could not confirm the plans, it would be the president’s first visit to pay tribute to Elvis Presley at the home where Presley died in 1977. The president’s last visit to Memphis was in March 2005 to talk about Social Security.

Before I lived in Memphis, I drove through town several times doing the tourist thing. My favorite part of the trip was schlupping around in the gift shops around Graceland. I hope President Bush takes Koizumi into one or two of them. Maybe while they’re in town they could swing by Beale Streets’ newest establishment.

Previously, on "The Fight for Elvis' house that's not Graceland…"

From The Commercial Appeal, here's the latest:

Geller and one partner, New York attorney Peter Gleason, cried foul, claiming their high bid was unfairly rejected only because a higher offer came along. Hazen (The Seller) said the bid was discarded after Gleason made contractual changes in the closing papers, then could not be reached for two weeks while they tried to close the sale. "At the end of two weeks we did not have an agreement. It made me question their commitment or ability to follow through with the sale. This is not a decision we made lightly," says Hazen.

When the sale to Curb closed Friday, Gleason responded by reopening an old wound for Hazen and Freeman. He hired a Memphis attorney to see that a closed bankruptcy case involving Hazen and Freeman would be reopened. The couple, who recently divorced, had filed for bankruptcy in September 2005, and the case was discharged in February 2006, excusing them of about $43,000 in debt. In the petition, they listed the value of their home at its appraised value of about $236,000.

That's the home that just sold for $1,000,000. In their backruptcy proceedings they said it was worth 1/4 of that.

Read more »

The Commercial Appeal has an update on our spoon-bending friend, Uri Gellar. You'll remember Uri bought the house Elvis Presley lived in before he moved to Graceland. Then we found out the eBay seller was just using the publicity on eBay to determine what she could really get for it, and yanked the deal out from under Uri.

More details:

Geller and two partners bid $905,100 for the house at 1034 Audubon and were announced as the high bidders May 16, but homeowner Cindy Hazen said Monday they were unable to finalize a contract. She said she and husband Mike Freeman then sold the house to Curb, closing the deal Friday for $1 million.

How does Uri feel about the drama?

Geller said he was "absolutely shocked that they would sell our house to someone else." By phone from his home outside London, he said: "If I have to, I will take this to the Supreme Court. If I have to, I'll take this to the Pope." Geller said Hazen and Freeman reneged on the deal to accept a higher offer.

I don't know how interested the Supreme Court is going to be in Uri's case. After they've sorted out gay marriage, wiretapping issues, and all that Guantanamo Bay "stuff", they might just want to call it a day.

And even if the Pope rules in favor of Uri, the good people of Memphis aren't going to recognize his jurisdiction. He'd be better off talking to Billy Graham.

I saw this on CNN.com:

Uri Gellar's dream of turning the first home Elvis Presley owned into a museum dedicated to the paranormal has been dealt a setback nearly as bizzare as the spoon-bending trick that made the Israeli-born psychic famous.

Gellar, who thought he had purchased the Memphis property in an eBay auction last month for $905,100, learned Friday the sellars had turned around and sold the 3,000-square-foot house to a foundation set up by Mike Curb, the longtime music producer.

That is too funny. The sellers used the eBay listing and the celebrity purchase to drive up the price and then kicked Gellar to the curb.

Gellar said he's going to sue, but he might not be able use the "breach of contract" angle because eBay handles their real estate auctions differently than their non-real estate auctions. Here are some highlights from eBay's Real Estate Rules.

…eBay Real Estate auction-style advertisements of real property do not involve legally binding offers to buy and sell. Instead, eBay Real Estate's auctions are simply a way for sellers to advertise their real estate and meet potential buyers…

…eBay cannot ensure that a buyer or seller will actually complete a transaction…The listings do not result in binding agreements to buy and sell real estate…

…The listings do not result in binding agreements to buy and sell real estate…

And near the bottom of the page…

…While eBay Real Estate cannot guarantee consummation of the sale to either seller or potential buyers, our rules require sellers and top-bidding potential buyers to follow through in good faith…

Best of luck to Uri. I hope he can spin it better than "They broke the rules".