Vick's house on auction block Tuesday- $3.2 Million +

[underpants]

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The enterance to the home of former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick in Duluth, Ga., is seen Thursday, March 5, 2009. The home is scheduled to be put up for auction on March 10. The minimum bid is $3.2 million.
(AP Photo/John Bazemore)

For sale: The house that Michael Vick built
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j4dXOXVvvggvXX7Yn9UpIKYFf-sgD96OG4J01

On a peaceful cul-de-sac in Atlanta's prosperous northern suburbs, a behemoth of a home sits empty and lifeless at 2927 Darlington Run. Four towering columns greet those who enter through a double set of thick, wooden doors. Out back, an idyllic lake laps at the edge of the yard. Within the walls, all the telltale signs of wealth and luxury — a pool room, a movie theater, an indoor golf range, assorted-sized statues of black panthers throughout.

But before the title to eight bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and a four-car garage passes off to a new owner, it's worth taking one last look at a most tangible monument left by this former star, a once-in-a-generation athlete who had it all before hubris brought him down.
..........
The foyer empties into an even larger living room, which has a flat-screen television mounted above the fireplace and three rows of windows, stacked one on top of the other, providing a view of the lake where Vick and his buddies once fished, or used as the target for striking golf balls.

Step to the left into another living room (c'mon, no self-respecting millionaire would have only ONE formal living room), which empties into a large kitchen with all the expected conveniences. Top-of-the-line appliances such as Thermador, Bosch and Sub-Zero. Those little extras, too, including a warming drawer and vegetable steamer. Not that cooking was Vick's thing.

"The kitchen is not the biggest and best gourmet kitchen," said Hempen, almost sounding apologetic. "It's got everything you need, but it's not a cooker's kitchen, per se."

But the "board room" — a two-storied, dark-wooded enclave — looks as though it's ready to host a Fortune 500 meeting. There's a large conference table in the middle, and two full floors of intricate bookcases. This is where Vick kept his sporting prizes.

"His girlfriend had a small corner over here," said Hempen, stepping inside. "But everything else was his."

The triple-tray ceiling is adorned with recess lighting that creates a mesmerizing effect after dark. There's also a double-sided fireplace facing both the canopied bed and a small sitting room that apparently was very popular with Vick and his buddies. This is where they hung out, playing video games and watching TV with the lake at their back.

"He had a piece of furniture in here that was one of the ugliest things I've ever seen," Hempen said. "It was a giant elephant table."

That particular piece has been shuffled off to a closet downstairs, so as not to scare off potential buyers, but the thin-legged chairs that used to surround it left behind permanent pocks in the carpet, thin grooves that look as though — could it be? — they were made by scratching dogs.

"Yep, I've gotten that question," Hempen said. "But that's not it."

Upstairs, there are four large bedrooms, each accompanied by its own bathroom. One is decorated for a child, a Minnie Mouse doll still resting on the small bed. This is where Vick's young daughter slept, a sobering reminder that even those who had nothing to do with that grisly dogfighting operation up in Virginia were affected by the case.

And the rest of those rooms? Hotel Vick apparently had few vacancies.

"There was a crew, an entourage," Hempen said. "These were their rooms."

Getting tired? There's no stopping now. The bottom floor is a must-see, and you can save some energy by hopping on the elevator that stops at all three floors.

"You've got to have an elevator in a house this size," Hempen pointed out. "It only costs about $30,000 to put one in. If you're buying a million-dollar-plus home, $30,000 is not going to hurt you."

The carpet of one room has a giant "7" right in the middle — Vick's number. Another room is completely swallowed up by a simulated golf game, in which the quarterback could strike balls into a padded video screen that showed what looked to be an actual course. Hundreds of sensors hooked to a computer accurately gauged the strength and accuracy of his swing.

There's also a weight room, where Vick worked out, and a mini-theatre where movies and games could be watched in plush, reclining chairs. The sound system is top of the line — in fact, Hempen said, the entire house is wired with an elaborate electronics package worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Vick also converted a bathroom into his own personal barber shop, complete with a chair and hair-washing station.

A custom-made bar has four lion heads carved in the wood, looking out on an ornate pool table, an old-school Pac-Man video game (hmmm, wonder if "Pacman" Jones ever stopped by?) and yet another area devoted mainly to watching a massive flat-screen TV. Unfortunately, there's only a bracket on the wall — one of Vick's cohorts snatched the television on his way out, claiming it belonged to him.

[MrSlayer]

1. Good luck.

Atlanta's housing market is worse than most. People aren't even renting there, let alone buying.

[msongs]

2. what happens when you give super spoiled children lots of money? nt