A "knight" who bought a title online while still a student has been kicked to the curb by Camden Council, after they'd discovered he owned homes in Bromley, Devon and Buckinghamshire, while claiming to be homeless and living - courtesy of the council - in a flat in Primrose Hill. Sir Barry apparently made the mistake of driving Jaguars in silver and gold.

Technorati Tags: property, real estate

Blairs expand portfolio [Mirror]
Charlie Bruce buys in Beckenham [Mail]
On St John's Wood [Telegraph]
Buy now, buy later? [FT]
CGT damages BTL [FTAdvisor]
How much to set up an estate agency? [The Modern Estate Agent]

The Rat and Mouse - London's property blog

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I bet some vetting took place before this contract was signed. David Cameron apparently has tenants, in his Notting Hill home, earning him around £6,000 a week. More here.

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Lily Allen's said to be looking in the south Cotswolds, possibly Stroud area, with £2m in her pocket. Meanwhile, Amy Winehouse is apparently back in Camden, after spending  £1.8m on a new home. More here.

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It was a party, apparently, to celebrated her daughter's engagement. The "Noise Patrol" apparently visited first to find "sound tests" taking place in the afternoon. They were back again at 10.45am, the next day, after more complaints from neighbours. Must have been one hell of a party. More here.

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According to This Is London, there's a deal worth £140m, making it the most expensive apartment in the world. No details regarding the buyer, other than he or she is "international". And presumably not the owner this time. More here.

Celebrity moves - Brand and Britney (don't panic, not together) and One Hyde Park [July 20, 2010]
Exclusive! Rat and Mouse tipster inside 1 Hyde Park

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Word is that Russell Brand's shifted his Hampstead Village home. No details as to the deal, yet. Meanwhile, Britney Spears' face looks like being a permanent feature in the giant wealth wet dream that is One Hyde Park. She's apparently bought an apartment there so she can reach out to her fans. For (an estimated) £20m she might have reached out and touched them more effectively by buying each of them a house. More here.

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Once (part of) the home of John Adams, first UK ambassador to London and later the second president of the US, this Grosvenor Square three bedroom house includes Adams' music room (now the first floor reception room). Its central Mayfair location, its high-quality refurbishment, its courtyard garden and its special history make this a unique opportunity. The guide price reflects that... £8.5m, with Wetherells, particulars here.

If these walls could talk... chick lit edition [June 23, 2010]

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The judge has agreed with the Candies that, after Prince Charles' intervention, their Qatari partners breached contract terms by withdrawing from the deal. He didn't, however, award damages... although that appears to be on the cards for a later date. More here.

Technorati Tags: architecture, design, development, London, property, real estate

Yesterday, the judge in the Chelsea Barracks case released a facsimile of a letter sent by Prince Charles to Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al-Thani... part of a behind-the-scenes campaign in which, investors claim, the Prince abused his position and influence to scupper development plans. Lord Rogers couldn't have been under any illusions about the Prince's opinion of his work, nor – presumably – will he have cared. That said, this letter can't have been pleasant reading for him (or anyone with an interest in modern architecture). I wonder whether the Prince regrets apologising, on record, for being "so interfering". I also wonder whether he goes through everything he writes, underlining words with a marker pen. Click the image above for a larger version.

Chelsea Barracks and the case of the missing emails [June 16, 2010]
Candies go to court over Qatari Diar [October 26, 2010]

Technorati Tags: architecture, development, London, property, real estate