For Sale...

New Jersey Record: Whitney Houston's Mendham Twp. estate on the market

MENDHAM TWP. — Whitney Houston's dramatic contemporary estate, where local officials and neighbors mingled with celebrities at the pop star's 1992 wedding reception, has been put up for sale with an asking price of $2.5 million, less than half its assessed value.

The five-bedroom home at 22 North Gate Road, where Houston once lived with her then-husband, singer Bobby Brown, is described as having an abundance of natural light and "circular-themed interior spaces" in a listing on the Coldwell Banker Web site.

Houston first moved to the township in 1987. The property was the setting for her lavish, 1,000-guest birthday party in 1989 and later for her star-studded wedding. She invited local officials and neighbors to both glamorous events.

Michael Lattmann, the Coldwell Banker listing agent, said on Friday that he could not talk about the home because "we've been asked not to say much about it."

The house has several wings that are circular or semicircular. The Coldwell Banker Web site estimates that a buyer would have monthly mortgage payments of $10,819 based on a down payment of $500,000 and a 5 percent interest rate on a 30-year, $2 million mortgage.

Taxes would be another $7,652.55 a month, based on an annual tax bill of $91,830.60 that was paid last year, according to township tax records. But those taxes are based on a much higher assessment than the asking price. The 12,561-square-foot house, sitting on five acres, is assessed at $5.6 million. The township currently is reassessing all properties to get more in line with current prices.

Tax records list Houston as the owner.

The star has owned more than one home in the township. Records show she also owns a home on Cross Way, assessed at $889,300, with a tax bill of $14,477 last year. That home was recently listed for sale at $949,900 on another real estate Web site, but the site says the house no longer is available.

Houston and Brown were married at the North Gate Road site on July 18, 1992. Several local officials and neighbors, including the township mayor and fire chief, were invited. They were among the 600 guests who attended the outdoor reception, held under several huge white tents adorned with masses of flowers. Guests included singers Dionne Warwick, Gloria Estefan, Patti LaBelle, Anita Baker, Luther Vandross, Dick Clark, Donald Trump, "Cosby Show" stars Phylicia Rashad and Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and other entertainment and sports celebrities. Then-Mayor Christine Palmer said at the time that it was "a fabulous event," where she got to speak briefly to the bride and groom.

Houston and Brown, who have a daughter, divorced in 2007.

The North Gate Road home was put up for sale on Sept. 21, according to the Coldwell Banker Web site. The listing says it has four full bathrooms, two half-baths, a four-car garage, three fireplaces, walk-in closets, high ceilings, a bar, a fire alarm and a security system. Photos of the interior show bright, circular rooms with skylights and curved floor-to-ceiling windows.

Abbott Koloff:
973-428-6636;
akoloff@gannett.com